₦airaland Forum

00francis:
So who agrees with the pecking order for the 2015/2016 season... Not me!

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. OKC
3.Golden State
4. Clippers
5. Spurs
6. Rockets
7. Bulls
8. Hawks
9. Miami
10. Memphis

I just listed the top ten according to the article. Y'all go through and give your opinions.

http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/2529441-nba-pecking-order-for-2015-16-becoming-clear-after-another-busy-offseason

good article. however, the hornets and knicks are way too low. Im expecting al jefferson to draw attention in the paint this year barring injuries. Alos looks like Phil is courting MElo by bring his old paddy Afflalo. The expectations of the knocks are so low, they will definitely outperform.

Spurs should be no 1. I dont know what any nba team will do if pops ever puts aldridge and west on the floor in some crazy combo. Both forwards can hit the uncontested 18footer, play the post and are strong/quick enough to defend 4s or 5s. Spurs are no 1 this year

Houston is being slept on, but they have upgraded albeit silently. Ty Lawson IS a baller.

From what I hear, this article by Buhari was released just as he was meeting with Obama. props to the protocols people. Someone is doing their job


http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/nigeria-committed-to-good-governance-and-fighting-terror/2015/07/20/

Muhammadu Buhari is president of Nigeria.

This month, the world moved a step closer to the defeat of Boko Haram, the jihadist group that has terrorized hundreds of thousands in the northern states of Nigeria. In one of my first acts since taking office as president six weeks ago, I have replaced the heads of Nigeria’s army, navy and air force. Our new military leadership has not been chosen because of their familiarity with those in government, as was too often the case in the past, but on their track records and qualifications alone.

These new military leaders will be based in Borno State in northern Nigeria, where the headquarters of the armed services has been relocated. This shift of resources and command directly to the front line, in addition to the replacement of the head of the State Security Service, Nigeria’s intelligence organization, and a new emphasis on working in partnership with our neighbors, has equipped us to take the fight directly to Boko Haram.

Already we are beginning to see a degrading of Boko Haram’s capabilities as a fighting force. In recent weeks, it appears to have shifted away from confronting the military directly to an increase in attacks on civilian areas, as we saw only last week when an elderly woman and 10-year-old girl blew themselves up at a Muslim prayer gathering in northeastern Nigeria. We should not be confused by this change, hateful as it is: It does not mean that Boko Haram is succeeding in its aims — it shows that it is losing.

While we work to defeat the terrorists, I ask the people of Nigeria and the world for resolve and fortitude. The campaign we will wage will not be easy; it may not be swift. We should expect stages of success and also moments when it may appear that our advances have been checked. But no one should have any doubt as to the strength of our collective will or my commitment to rid this nation of terror and bring back peace and normalcy to all affected areas.

Similarly, my determination should not be underestimated in other matters. This includes instilling good governance and tackling the scourge of corruption that has held Nigeria back for too long.

As I meet with President Obama today — the first time a president of the United States will encounter a Nigerian counterpart following the peaceful transfer of power in a contested election in our history — I will be discussing my plans for critical reforms. So, too, will I discuss why the formation of my administration is taking time and, crucially, why it must. Already there are voices saying these changes are taking too long — even though only six weeks have passed since my inauguration. I hear such calls, but this task cannot and should not be rushed.

When cabinet ministers are appointed in September, it will be some months after I took the oath of office. It is worth noting that Obama himself did not have his full Cabinet in place for several months after first taking office; the United States did not cease to function in the interim. In Nigeria’s case, it would neither be prudent nor serve the interests of sound government to have made these appointments immediately on my elevation to the presidency; instead, Nigeria must first put new rules of conduct and good governance in place.

I cannot stress how important it is to ensure that this process is carried out correctly, just as it has been crucial to first install the correct leadership of the military and security services before we fully take the fight to Boko Haram.

There are too few examples in the history of Nigeria since independence where it can be said that good management and governance were instituted at a national level. This lack of a governance framework has allowed many of those in charge, devoid of any real checks and balances, to plunder. The fact that I now seek Obama’s assistance in locating and returning $150 billion in funds stolen in the past decade and held in foreign bank accounts on behalf of former, corrupt officials is testament to how badly Nigeria has been run. This way of conducting our affairs cannot continue.

Indeed, the failure of governance, it can be argued, has been as much a factor in Nigeria’s inability thus far to defeat Boko Haram as have been issues with the military campaign itself.

So the path we must take is simple, even if it is not easy: First, instill rules and good governance; second, install officials who are experienced and capable of managing state agencies and ministries; and third, seek to recover funds stolen under previous regimes so that this money can be invested in Nigeria for the benefit of all of our citizens.

We seek the support and partnership of the United States in these tasks. The importance of the fight against terrorism and corruption in Nigeria, Africa’s most powerful economy and largest populace, cannot be underestimated. Our allies can provide much-needed military training and intelligence as our soldiers take the war effort to Boko Haram. Similarly, we look to U.S. businesses as well as the Obama administration to help develop governance initiatives that can ensure that Nigeria’s wealth benefits all its people, not just a few. By taking these steps, we will be positioned to benefit from increased investment — particularly in energy and electricity — from the United States.

I was elected on a platform of change. I know this is what the people of Nigeria desire more than anything else. I know they are impatient for action. I realize the world waits to see evidence that my administration will be different from all those that came before. Yet reforming my country after so many years of abuse cannot be achieved overnight. In our campaigns against both Boko Haram and corruption, we should remain steadfast and remember, as it is said: “Have patience. All things become difficult before they become easy.”

day 1 has come and gone, and its all been business. I watched the body language of Obama and Kerry during the meeting today. I think they have done the homework, and this will be a non-issue. They understand Buhari is a serious man. Obama might say something in passing to appease the LGBT groups tomorrow, but nothing direct.


Lets see if we get some real cooperation on BH as promised. AS in dollars, equipment, intelligence

okangisaiah:
He might be presurised to sign the gay law, last time in stead of him to say outrght no like Jonathan did, he said he'll consider it.

i am sure he knows this is a political dead end. frankly I cant even envision Buhari having a favorable or neutral view on this. I think he is being wise to not show his cards before hand

Expectations are high from the Nigerian side on what we want to achieve. Biggest issue on Buhari's mind is probably military cooperation to wipe out Boko Haram. Reading the news though, I get the feeling he is in for some disappointment. All is see is how he will be pressured into LGBT friendly laws and such.

Does anyone here think Obama believes so strongly in gay issues that he will jeopardize what could be an important strategic liason with Buhari, who will likely be the president for the next 8 years?

http://www.ibtimes.com/obama-pressure-nigeria-anti-gay-law-during-buharis-white-house-visit-2007599

While Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari plans to discuss Boko Haram and Nigeria’s economy during his upcoming visit to the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama might push another agenda. Washington has pledged to pressure the West African country to reverse its anti-gay law and end its persecution of homosexual people.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield said this week the Obama administration had adopted protection of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community as part of its foreign policy agenda. “As a government, it is one of the highest priorities and strongest values that discrimination against anyone based on their sexual orientation and gender identity is wrong. We believe human rights should be available to everybody,” Thomas-Greenfield said during a live web chat with journalists in Washington, D.C., according to Gay Star News. “As a policy, we will continue to press the government of Nigeria as well as other government who have provided legislation against the LGBT community.”

Following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, Obama has received mounting criticism in African nations for his support of the LGBT community. Kenyan leaders have warned the U.S. president not to bring his “gay agenda” with him during his visit to Kenya later this month.

Buhari, however, has so far kept quiet about his stance on same-sex marriage as Nigeria struggles with tumbling oil prices and Boko Haram violence. The Nigerian leader is expected to request U.S. military assistance to fight the Islamist militant group, and Obama might ask for something in return when the two meet in the Oval Office next week. The U.S. president could demand that Buhari relax Nigeria’s anti-gay legislation in exchange for U.S. funding.

Obama had threatened to sever foreign aid to Nigeria when then-president Goodluck Jonathan signed a law barring same-sex marriage in the African country in January 2014. Ahead of Nigeria’s presidential election in March, Jonathan’s campaign organizer Femi Fani-Kayode claimed the United States supported Buhari because the opposition candidate had vowed to legalize same-sex marriage, according to a Nigerian news site.

“The proposition and offer was that if he was prepared to support a legislation in Nigeria to allow same sex marriage and if he was prepared to repeal the anti-gay laws in Nigeria, they (US) will, in return, endorse, support and fund him, initially covertly and eventually publicly, at the right time,” Fani-Kayode said at the time, according to Naij.com. “Instead of rejecting these offers and spurning this proposition, to our utter shock, Buhari apparently refused to rule it out and has put the matter under consideration. Instead of him to say no, he assured them that he would consider these two things.”

kliq:
Crazy yeah,just hope he doesn't end up like Greg Oden

He already is

even if he makes it and plays, can he last a whole season?

Roland17:
The modern era of social networking gave birth to unprofessional and immature means of communicating and resolving differences amicably within the business circle, the whole debacle with D. Jordan, M. Cuban and the Clippers organization shows how immature DJ truly is.

Cuban is a successful businessman, I want to believe he is used to buyers remorse but he also anticipates the buyer is classy enough to express themselves when buying out of a business, DJ blew this one for me, I personally believe he weighed circumstances after verbally committing to the Mavs and made the best decision for his career because let's be honest, even if the Mavs succeeded in getting DJ they would struggle for the 8th spot but his chances to the championship are stronger with the Clippers but sending tweet messages to apologize is flat out disrespectful to a man like Cuban and the Mavs nation, DJ is a wimp let me just put it that way, he easily could have met Cuban who I want to believe already knows DJ was backing out and talk heart to heart with Cuban, this whole shenanigans questions his personality.

To the Mavs nation, I feel the pain...trust me, I would be rooting against Clippers all season for this one even when they play against Lecramp and his whining lot..

Putting Cuban and class in the same sentence LOL. Cuban in on shark Tank, and he knows business. Until someone signs a drafted contract, its all hearsay. Cuban knows that. If anything, Cuban on purpose spilled communications that were supposed to be private to make himself look good and keep the fans eyes off him. Jordan did nothing Cuban hasnt done before. He apologized to avoid being the villian Cuban wanted to cast him as.

I wish Nowitzki would go somewhere else to finish his career. I have to think personally, Nowitzki loathes shady characters like Cuban. And dont let me start on the mavs fans. A youtube video is better than a paragraph...This is actually how a lot of mavs fans are (bro culture, borderline racist and very self entitled). If thats what you want to root for, meh


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAEDVUcoANw

well folks, roland17, a40, kliq, mynd44, ewuro4, donlittle, adieu and be safe! see yall next season

Ewuro4:
I'm outta here. See you next year folks.

Roland, A40, Birdman, Mbee and other great folks, thanks so much for the amazing season. Every discussion was informative & fulfilled.

See you next season. Draft pick is next week. And hopefully my guy gets the hell outta that Cleveland hole.

God bless.

indeed it was. see you around!

Mizzzbeee:
r u still believing EWUROOOOOO i believe something can happen too Cavs 2K15 champs

looool. na ewuro name dem dey drag for ground so

Good season. congrats to the warriors and their fans, they deserved it. And curry proved why he was the MVP. Where is Barkely now? He claimed this team could not win it all. Extremely well coached team.

As an LBJ fan, I like to take life lessons from his wins/losses. Maaan, character will always trump talent. Shumpert mailed that game in from the start. None of the spot up 3s he usually takes, no defense, no steals. JR smith slept the whole game except the last minute. Della looked in the mirror, realized he was a scrub and played scared all game. I think Blatt should have played Miller instead of Della or Shump. I'd say this is the toughest loss of LBJ's career. But if it makes him better next year, good.

Ewuro4:
This is tough.

it is. lebron showed up to play. mozgov did too. everyone else is already on vacation. sad way to go down.

this is the difference btw super star and role player. Nobody other than james wants to shoot the 3 right now. Dellavedova is running away from every shot. Good game so far

A40:
He has come out to say it he better back it up with a win tonight. Curry would probably score 50pts if he took the volume of shots Lebron is taking

loool. lbj really should just not have said anything. I think he knows the warriors are a better team, and he was trying to psych up his team with trash talk. But if cavs lose tonite, man that clip will be played on espn all day tomorrow. It is ok to think you are the best player in the league, but you have to know when to mechonu. all the pressure is on lbj for this game

and btw I know more lbj flogging is coming down the pike. But I am curious- who do you believe in the league right now could have taken this cavs roster to the finals, down 3-2. Durant, Kobe , Timmy D? Somebody make a case

Mynd44:
As for the people talking about MVP, it is possible and Lebron is playing well but LeBron is not playing with his team dammit. I will rather give MVP to someone (even if they lost) who played well and tried to play with his team. This is not a one man sport.

We all said Kobe Bryant is selfish but Lebron takes it a notch higher in his aim to be seen as "Greatest"

I dont know who thinks Lebron should be getting MVP if he loses. That makes no sense. But the idea that Lebron is "not playing with his team" makes no sense either. How do you think Thomas and Della suddenly look like all-stars. Tell me, who else can create their own shot on that starting roster. Who has the highest assists per game on that team. Where did you come up with the idea he is playing alone?

If you are going to hate on LBJ, go ahead hate. But have some real respectable reasons. If he didnt take that volume of shots on a team that is offensively challenged, the same folk will be saying he isnt a leader. If he doesnt take the shots in the last 2 minutes, he isnt clutch. What did you want him to say at the press conference - "I dont think we can win"? or or some other fake humility bs?

Yeah I agree he has some funny fanbois, but as tough as the league is today (even in the east), to get to the finals year after year consistently has not been done since the lakers and they had a stellar roster. I almost lost a bet because I thought the warriors would win 4-0. Thankfully my paddy didnt take the bet either, because he looked at the cavs and men, the cavs roster is sorry. Yet, here we are 3-2. I can point you to half a dozen plays in the 2 wins they had where LBJ literally made plays that shifted the game in their favor. Imo, LBJ can sing all he wants.

temifisayo:
I perceive envy.

you are wise. foolish people judge a man by what he says. wise people judge a man by what he does. Mugabe is likely still smarting from the insults he received from Adeola (Sahara Reporters). I think she went overboard, but she had a point.

I chuckle at the mugabe lovers. The man's atrocities, greed and evil deeds are on display and on news dailies everywhere. these guys overlook all that, and go looking for gnats in Buhari or Zuma's eyes. I know one thing for sure. The future does not lie with ramblers roiling in conspiracy theories all day every day. I guess some of us have to actually stop being lazy and do the real work (sorry folks, making up theories on the internet is not work)

the warriors are about to win the 'ship and they deserve it, having played in the much tougher west. But my hats off to the cavs. In a game the warriors played like their old selves, it was still close till the last minutes. Out of respect for these strapping cav's I will play the cav's advocate for a sec

What would it take to steal game 6 from the warriors? The mind games wont work. Curry knows he can make those 3s in spite of dellas harassment. Thomas can get all the offensive rebounds but he cant create his own shot, and James can score 50 if he wants, but as long as he is not sharing the ball, the cavs lose.

However, we know the warriors are going nowhere without Curry. If I am LBJ, I will be feeding Della the ball early in the game. If he knocks down a few early 3s, Curry will have to pay more attention on the defensive end. I might even run a few pick and rolls for Della just to test Curry's legs. This will distort curry's rhythm as the game wears on. I am betting that Curry is a better scorer than a passer, and he misses enough 3's to give the cavs a few transition baskets.

btw where is ewuro4. never shows up when lbj loses. its only game 4 tho

the warriors are soft. charmin tissue soft. Even Iggy was playing like mumu for a second there. Thank God for ajepakos like Barnes otherwise Cavs would have won this game. Lebron finally gassed out, looked like his legs just weren't there.

Back to GS for game 5! Lets see if the warriors actually found their balls.

Ewuro4:
Whooo

lol. enjoy it while it lasts

Roland17:
According to the hall of famer Sir Charles Barkley "Jumpers—I always say, jumpers are like pretty girls. They’re really good looking when they’re going in, but then when you realize that pretty girl is dumb, you’re in for a long date.”

Irrespective of tonight's game result, Golden State must critically figure out ways to win games other than jumpers especially a very physical Cavs team that is depleted but relying on their physical play to win games, they have become too predictable and one dimensional, hopefully it's not too late.

the loose balls and rebounds probably did GS in more than anything else. They got this far with that style of play. no use changing it now. i think they walked into game 3 expecting the cavs to lay down.

The warriors need some grit. Even their big men look soft except for Green, who really isnt a big man. I expect to see Iggy and Lee more in game 4. They look like they can match the energy of the cavs.

kingsilly:
Curry just need to find his mojo Back

he didnt lose it. just got lazy. see how they played in the last 2 minutes? thats how the cavs were playing all game

A40:
Where you been son?


This guy wetin Kobe do you nau?

The Warriors were unbelievably baad! Did they think the Cavs were just going to fall down and die after losing Kyrie? If they keep playing like this the unthinkable might happen and the Cavs pull off an epic upset. Steph Curry you can't parade yourself as MVP and shoot 5-23 at home

ok.. ima leave kobe be for now lol. until i find said clips.

warriors came out flat. i guess they thought cavs would just roll over. the cavs now have confidence, and they could very well win 2 in cleveland and put the warriors on the ropes.

btw, this is the one thing that makes me think LBJ is the best in the league right now. that last shot in regular time, he got fouled. If it was Kobe taking that shot, he goes to the line. Even JVG remarked how little benefit of the doubt lebron gets on these calls. Oh well, the bball gods decided on this one.

to be fair, LBJ has reason to be angry. man, the refs officiating this game sucked. as much as i wanted 2-0, cavs deserved this game. i want to say home cooking, but maybe its just me

Ewuro4:
BIRDMAN .. WE GOT THIS!!

i wuz wrong lol

If the cavs lose tonight, they go down 2-0. There is no way they beat the warriors 3 straight in cleveland which means warriors play game 6 to close the series on their home court, no matter how hard cleveland plays in games 3,4,5. Given this, I expect Lebron to go into 'god' mode tonite, a-la game 6 vs Celtics some years ago. That game where he makes every almost every jump shot. I suspect it still wont be enough. The warriors actually play really good defense and I see the rest of the team struggling. warriors 2 - cavs 0

A40:
Haha you have evidence or you are just hating on the Mamba?

You even bring up the refs in the Kings series but I can recall the 2000 series. Pretty much all the Laker wins were blowouts so how did the refs influence that?

Which particular game was there home-cooking vs the Blazers? We need hard evidence here not just opinion

That Lakers 00-02 team were one of the most dominant team in NBA history. You can argue their competition from the East was weak but they were the best in their era by a mile!

I went looking for the old youtube clips. I forgot sometime back the nba made google take down those clips, because it implicated several nba refs. donaghy was the only one who got caught, accidentally btw.

As a sidenote, it is interesting how easy it is to wipeout info you dont want even in the internet age. Cant find a single clip via google anymore lol

A40:
You need to watch the 00-02 Lakers to appreciate just how dominant Kobe was. You can argue he had Shaq but their relationship was symbiotic. Lebron would not play in 6 Finals if he were out West. The Kings would have made the Finals easily if they were in the East. Duncan would probably have like 7 rings by now.

And it goes on and on. He played in a conference when teams routinely made the playoffs with sub .500 records

Anyone remember kobe's patented jumpshot where he would extend his legs outward to draw contact? Man, you couldnt touch Kobe on the way to the rim without drawing a foul. Go look up the WCF against the Blazers. Man, that was supreme home cooking. The years the Kings lost to the Lakers, they were the better team (both times), if not for the refs. If Lebron got 1/2 of the calls Kobe got, he'll be scoring 50 every night. Heck if wade or Durant or Melo got 1/2 those calls, they all would be scoring 50+ per night.

Conclusion: Kobe was good, Kobe was clutch, but dayum, the refs sure helped a lot. Sorry yall, its my duty to rain on any Kobe parade I see. The dude won 2 more rings than he should have. Carry on

I am expecting warriors to sweep the cavs. The only reason the cavs made game 1 close imo was the warriors were nervous in the first q, shots didnt fall and the cavs jumped on them. So far I havent seen anyone take my bet that the cavs can win even one game this series. But Lebron is till the best in the game