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Full throttle 2006 NBA DISCUSSION

post #1 of 144
10/6/05 at 3:04pm
Thread Starter 
Okay, so we're in training camp for the upcoming NBA season... I figured I'd devise some questions for debate based on every team so that people had stuff to discuss...

ATLANTIC DIVISION
NEW YORK KNICKS
1. Can Larry Brown make this team any more than a first round casualty?
2. When will Stephon Marbury finally be traded?
3. Was it worth the risk bringing in Eddy Curry?

BOSTON CELTICS
1. Is Paul Pierce a tradeable commodity?
2. Is this the year Al Jefferson is going to become a quality NBA player?
3. Will this team resist the urge to trade for a high priced veteran if they trick themselves into believing they are in contention?

NEW JERSEY NETS
1. Will the nullification of the Shareef Abdur-Rahim deal come back to haunt them?
2. Has Vince Carter turned the corner, or will he resume his problem-child act if things go sour in Jersey?
3. Is Nenad Krstic capable enough to move into the upper echelon of NBA centers?

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
1. Will Allen Iverson start at point guard or shooting guard?
2. Will Chris Webber ever gel with this team?
3. Would anyone have offered Samuel Dalembert anything close to the $64 million the Sixers gave him?

TORONTO RAPTORS
1. Who will be the first one traded?
2. Is Sam Mitchell the frontrunner to be the first coach fired?
3. Is the chemistry problem in Toronto beyond reproach, or is there a chance this team can be competitive this year?

CENTRAL DIVISION
CHICAGO BULLS
1. How will they settle upon a perimeter rotation that pleases everyone?
2. Can the Bulls possibly work a deal for a number one scorer?
3. Was last year a fluke?

MILWAUKEE BUCKS
1. Can this team stay out of last place in a difficult division?
2. Will they be in good shape platooning TJ Ford and Maurice Williams?
3. Who will start at small forward?

DETROIT PISTONS
1. Can they repeat as Eastern Conference champs?
2. Is this the year Darko Milicic breaks into the rotation?
3. Do they have enough depth if this well-worn but durable rotation suffers a key injury?

INDIANA PACERS
1. Will Johnathan Bender contribute anything?
2. Will Ron Artest stay out of trouble for the entire year?
3. Can they get to the Finals with Jamaal Tinsley manning the point?

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
1. Can Damon Jones be a fulltime point man without kickouts from Shaq?
2. Has LeBron James found a perfect running mate in Larry Hughes?
3. Can Luke Jackson contribute to this team now that he’s healthy?

SOUTHEAST DIVISION
MIAMI HEAT
1. Will Jason Williams and Antoine Walker be positive contributors to this team?
2. Is Dwayne Wade’s future at point or shooting guard?
3. How many more years does Shaq have left?

WASHINGTON WIZARDS
1. Does Washington have enough offensive ammo at the two and three spots?
2. Will Brendan Haywood come into his own or eventually be replaced in the starting lineup?
3. Is Gilbert Arenas’ flaky attitude good or bad for this team?

ORLANDO MAGIC
1. Will this team go forward with the starting backcourt of Jameer Nelson and Steve Francis?
2. How far away is Dwight Howard from All-Star status?
3. Can Grant Hill stay healthy enough to help this team get into the playoff picture?

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
1. Can Sean May play together with Rookie of the Year Emeka Okafor?
2. Will there be a position battle between rookie Raymond Felton and Brevin Knight?
3. Is Gerald Wallace merely a role player, or can he be the team’s biggest threat?

ATLANTA HAWKS
1. With the influx of starting level talent at the two, three and four, is Al Harrington a goner?
2. Will Jim Johnson play point guard, or will a more suitable one be acquired?
3. How close is this team to competing in the East?

NORTHWEST DIVISION
SEATTLE SUPERSONICS
1. Can Bob Weiss lead this team to the same success they had last season, or was that a one year fluke?
2. Is Luke Ridnour capable of playing thirty solid minutes a game as the starter?
3. Is a core of Danny Fortson, Reggie Evans and Vitaly Potapenko going to perform in the paint?

DENVER NUGGETS
1. Is a healthy Voshon Lenard the missing ingredient to boost this team over the top?
2. Can Nene, Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin co-exist in the frontcourt?
3. Is this Carmelo Anthony or George Karl’s team?

UTAH JAZZ
1. Does Utah have the pieces in place to contend?
2. Utah fans soured on Carlos Boozer- can he win them back?
3. Is Andrei Kirilenko a work in progress, or a current MVP candidate?

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
1. Is there enough offense here to compete?
2. Will Kevin Garnett demand a trade?
3. Is a backcourt of Marko Jaric and Rashard McCants a young, versatile duo or a mess in the making?

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
1. Is this still Zach Randolph’s team? Or is there a chance Darius Miles could have a breakout year?
2. Will they regret letting go of Damon Stoudamire to give the reigns to Sebastian Telfair?
3. Who’s the starter at center: Theo Ratliff or Joel Pryzbilla?

SOUTHWEST DIVISION
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
1. Will Michael Finley start or serve as the sixth man? And how much does he have left in the tank?
2. Will the team rely more on Nazr Mohammed or Rasho Nesterovic at center this year?
3. Can the Spurs repeat?

DALLAS MAVERICKS
1. Can Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels sufficiently replace Michael Finley?
2. Can Erick Dampier bounce back from a poor inaugural season in Dallas?
3. Will the team run with Jason Terry or Devin Harris as it’s starting point guard?

HOUSTON ROCKETS
1. Can Yao Ming make the next step to dominant superstar?
2. After a couple of ineffective seasons, how much can Derek Anderson contribute in a new location?
3. Will Rafer Alston be a problem for Jeff Van Gundy?

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS
1. Will Jamaal Magloire be traded?
2. Is this Chris Paul or J.R. Smith’s team?
3. How long will it be before this franchise is a contender again, and will Byron Scott be there for it?

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
1. Has this team reached its ceiling?
2. Will the sudden influx of veterans, led by Damon Stoudamire and Eddie Jones, has this team improved from last year?
3. Can they win with Pau Gasol, or will he finally be traded?

PACIFIC DIVISION
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
1. Will sparks fly between Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson?
2. Will sparks fly between Kwame Brown and the bench?
3. Will sparks fly?

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
1. Is Shaun Livingston ready to lead this team to the postseason?
2. Will Corey Maggette ever shed his me-first approach on the offensive end?
3. Is the Cuttino Mobley signing going to help or hurt them?

SACRAMENTO KINGS
1. Is this Mike Bibby’s or Peja Stojakovic’s team?
2. Is it possible Kenny Thomas will win the starting battle over Shareef Abdur-Rahim?
3. Will Bonzi Wells disrupt chemistry?

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
1. Is this team a bonafide contender?
2. Is Troy Murphy their starting center?
3. Can Jason Richardson and Baron Davis develop cohesive chemistry?

PHOENIX SUNS
1. With the missing scoring, can Amare Stoudemire average 30 ppg?
2. Has Steve Nash peaked?
3. Can Shawn Marion make the leap from All-Star to MVP contender?
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post #2 of 144
10/6/05 at 3:47pm
Knicks are fucked.

Boston is screwed. Pierce needs to demand a trade pronto

Nets aren't in bad shape. However they are going to need more to contend.

Sixers basically are stuck with some bad contracts and a talented scorer who doesn't gel well with other teammates.

Toronto is bye bye.

Bulls need to just keep growing. They'll be fine.

Bucks well depends on health and if Bogut can contribute.

Pistons are still the class of the east.

Pacers are right behind the Pistons.

Cavs should have a dissapointing season ahead of them after they added little in the offseason.

I'll go out on a limb and say the Heat will dissapoint and crash and burn this year.

T'Wolves and Garnett in particular need a lot of help.

Spurs can repeat if they stay healthy.

I think the Alston move should be interesting to see how it plays out. Houston is ready to go to the next level. Question is can Yao and those that aren't McGrady step up?

Suns need guys to step up now that they've lost pieces. We'll see if it happens.
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post #3 of 144
10/6/05 at 4:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Daywalker
Knicks are fucked.

Boston is screwed. Pierce needs to demand a trade pronto

Nets aren't in bad shape. However they are going to need more to contend.

Sixers basically are stuck with some bad contracts and a talented scorer who doesn't gel well with other teammates.

Toronto is bye bye.

Bulls need to just keep growing. They'll be fine.

Bucks well depends on health and if Bogut can contribute.

Pistons are still the class of the east.

Pacers are right behind the Pistons.

Cavs should have a dissapointing season ahead of them after they added little in the offseason.

I'll go out on a limb and say the Heat will dissapoint and crash and burn this year.

T'Wolves and Garnett in particular need a lot of help.

Spurs can repeat if they stay healthy.

I think the Alston move should be interesting to see how it plays out. Houston is ready to go to the next level. Question is can Yao and those that aren't McGrady step up?

Suns need guys to step up now that they've lost pieces. We'll see if it happens.
I agree for the most part on all the things above with the exception of the Heat. Even with a limping Shaq, they rode the back of Dwayne Wade and were 4 minutes away from the Finals. If they stay healthy (and thats a big "if") then I can't see them atleast #1 in the East again.
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post #4 of 144
10/6/05 at 4:08pm
I can't wait to see what will happen with the Blazers this year. All I'm hoping for is growth. With McMillan on, and whole bunch of young talent, it's pretty exciting to think that there might be something special brewing for the coming years. They'll suck ass this year, but hopefully not as much. Here is what I'm hoping for: Randolph getting back on track, Telfair keeps maturing, Webster becoming a powerhouse, Pryzbyla getting solid, and Miles not fucking anything up. It ain't Rip City yet, but they'll get there.

As far a my Lakers, the coaching looks better on the court than the actual team. It was surprising to see Scottie Pippen and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the staff. Hopefully something will rub off on Odom and Kwame, and we don't suck as much. It looks like Phil we'll be gettin more defensive in his schemes. Won't be as flashy as last year, but hopefully it will get us back into the playoffs.

I agree with you JD, Miami might crumble with the weight of expectation, and too many ball hogs. IF Wade has the ball and control, it might turn out okay, but I doubt it.

Cleveland will be better just because LeBron will be better.

The whole Atlantic division blows except New Jersey, who are probrably 3rd best in the East. Detroit vs. Indiana will be fun games to watch again.

Overall, it looks like San Antonio will repeat. If Duncan stays healthy, and Finley delivers the knockout punch from the bench, no way they're getting beaten.
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post #5 of 144
10/6/05 at 4:10pm
Just to add... I love basketball!
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post #6 of 144
10/6/05 at 4:16pm
Here I come... being a homer...

I think the Cavs should do decent this year. Made some huge off-season moves that will be the key to them making the playoffs (which they should). It's gonna fall on Damon Jones and Larry Hughes. LeBron is LeBron and if Z stays healthy the Cavs should make the playoffs. I see them finishing in the 5th or 6th seed for the playoffs
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post #7 of 144
10/6/05 at 5:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by juan23
Just to add... I love basketball!


I love it too! Which is exactly why I doubt I'll be able to watch any NBA game this season.
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post #8 of 144
10/6/05 at 7:28pm
Central division could threaten to completely fill the Eastern playoff spots.

Pistons and Pacers are title worthy.

I think the Cavs had a fantastic offseason getting 2 ace sharpshooters. James best talent truly is his vision and passing, having Jones and Marshall lurking in the wings will keep teams honest and allow him and Hughes to really tear it up.

Bucks look solid on paper. Ford's back is a concern and they should have tried to pick up a solid no. 2 PG, but Bogut should be as advertised. He'll never be a Superstar, but he is a talented big man that'll be better than anything the Bucks could have picked up. Look for Mason to pick up the 6th man award.

Bulls did great with the Sweetney/Curry trade since there was no way they were gonna sign curry. That the Knicks threw in the 2006 draft pick was the kicker since in all likely hood it will once again be a lottery pick.

Atlantic's a mess. After the Nets, you have Boston which is in "competitive" rebuilding mode and three of the worse GMs in the NBA.

You know whats worse than giving Dalembert $64mil, giving Jerome James $40mil followed by giving Curry an uninsurable $60mil even though you just drafted a decent center (Frye) and yet another undersized power forward (Lee) and then not using the Allan Houston Rule on Allan Houston cuz you hope he'll just retire anyway.

At the very least Dalembert is young, healthy, tries to contribute on the defensive end and isn't expected to score anything more than a handful of garbage points around the rim. He'd actually be a phenomenal talent if he were signed at about $4-5mil/yr.

No change in the status quo in the southeast, Miami is title worthy, Washington is good, and Atlanta, Orlando and Charlotte are bad. Even if Washington takes a step back, being able to whoop on the latter teams should keep them in the playoff hunt.

I think the Heat will be fine despite the influx of headcases. They're at a point, much like the Spurs, where they now have enough talent that they can keep the minutes down for the key players during the season so everyone will be ready to go in the playoffs. Of course, who knows if Van Gundy will bother to utilize this since Riley is just looking for a reason to demote him and take over the show.

Texas looks like a beast again. Spurs had yet another great offseason. Finley was a steal, but Van Exel was even more important considering that their only exploitable weakness in the Playoffs was pressing the hell outta Udrih, Van Exel should put an end to that. And somehow I see both of them fitting into the Horry mode where the regular season is just a way to keep them all in shape for the playoffs.

Signing Swift was a pretty good move by Houston since they've needed a hustling big man for a while now. But Yao signing thru 2011, finally getting an offseason, and bulking up 310 should be even better. Drafting Head and trading for Alston should help if Sura is still out injured.

Dallas and Memphis should again be solid, though they didnt do much in the offseason to think they've taken a step forward. And the 'Oklahoma City' Hornets have slightly more pressing concerns and sadly will still be a cellar dweller of the west -- which is sad since they're a good young team and would be a big man away from competing in the East.

The California division will be fun and competitive amongst themselves, but Phoenix should whoop on any of the upstarts and run off with the Pacific again. That said im pulling for the Clippers or Warriors to take the best of CA award.

Seattle screwed up by not offering McMillan however much it took to keep him there. Ray Allen is a great player and all, but McMillan had much more to do with their great year. Looking for them to take a step back which leaves the Northwest ripe for Denver to take over.

Denver under Karl was ridiculous. If Anthony and Martin keeps drinking the his Koolaid they should be just as good this year. Nene has got to be trade bait for a 2 if Lenard can't come back, but with Miller and the Earls they could just go small and run teams to death. Here's hoping for a Boykins, Watson, Miller, Anthony, Martin lineup somewhere down the line.

Kinda like Utah, shouldnt but cant help thinking they'll be a sleeper again. Always liked Brown in San Antonio, counting down the days til he takes over the 2 spot. Ostertag is a load, but he's always happy to give up his 6 fouls and play physical which is needed when you have soft big men like Boozer and Okur. Didn't like them trading Snyder, but Im still watching him through rose-colored glasses after he led UNR to the sweet sixteen a couple years back and will simply not listen to the honest arguments that hes a blown pick.

Pity Garnett, he deserves better. Pray for McMillan, he's got a helluva task ahead of him.

Edited in attempts to fix the grammar
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post #9 of 144
10/6/05 at 10:43pm
I love basketball, but I hate the current NBA. Although it is getting better with more free agent movement creating more parity.

For my money, and most people all over the world, the NBA is once again about the lakers. Everyone is just waiting for the next saga in the laker soap opera. Everyone is expecting kobe to fly off the handle and cause Phil to have a heart attack.

Following in a close second, can the heat win with a totally different team that almost got them to the finals?

Third big story, will small ball still reign supreme this year? My gut says no. The suns style of play will be seriously stifled this year and won't start a resurgence in small ball...not in the western conference at least. But as long as nash is feeding amare they suns will be contenders for the next 2-3 years.

4th lead...The knicks...will they ever do anything right again?
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post #10 of 144
10/6/05 at 11:11pm
I am just curious as to what the NY media will do to Eddie Curry. What will they do when Curry has 3 games in a row with 4 rebouds or less? For a 7 footer the guy just doesn't get boards.

Quote:
2. Can the Bulls possibly work a deal for a number one scorer?
They have one in Gordon. He just needs to defend better and start. Unfortunatly that means Heinrich needs to go for a solid 2 guard who can defend a guy like James.
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post #11 of 144
10/7/05 at 12:22am
Let me state something. The NBA regular season means squat nowadays. Sure there are some important games but on the whole the games overall lack effective fundamentals and above all else intensity.

Which is pathetic because the talent is there just not the mental approach to develop those skills. Too much street ball.

Still it can be entertaining depending on the team and players.

Also Antonie Walker and White Chocolate were not the right players to bring in for Miami. Its a step backward. Mark my words on top of soft toine there will be his shaky knees and his injuries. Eddie Jones was a key defender and playmaker for them. Wade is for real but he can only do so much. No Posey is good but he's no Eddie Jones. This season will prove it to you mark my words.

I should say I like Donyell in Cleveland but Damon Jones and Larry Hughes won't plug the holes and give LeBron what he needs. I hope for LeBrons sake I am wrong but that team lacks serious toughness.
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post #12 of 144
10/21/05 at 5:02pm
Thread Starter 
So, any word on Gary Payton and Latrell Sprewell?
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post #13 of 144
10/22/05 at 12:08am
payton is with the heat
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post #14 of 144
10/22/05 at 1:28am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fazer
payton is with the heat

Oh, ok. I totally missed that. The lack of coverage suggests Payton is a non-entity now, I suppose. Or did I find out and then forget?
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post #15 of 144
10/23/05 at 4:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Daywalker
Also Antonie Walker and White Chocolate were not the right players to bring in for Miami. Its a step backward. Mark my words on top of soft toine there will be his shaky knees and his injuries. Eddie Jones was a key defender and playmaker for them. Wade is for real but he can only do so much. No Posey is good but he's no Eddie Jones. This season will prove it to you mark my words.
i totally agree with you. i think riley has done too much this offseason. it'll probably help them in the regular season but come playoff time those 2 are going to be such a defensive liabilty it's going to be sickening to watch. on top of this we'll be witnessing both of their 70 foot 3 pointers. antoine walker destroys championship caliber teams. he was the main problem his lone season in dallas. i'm just happy they got payton. he's nowhere near player he used to be but atleast he knows what he's doing. he should make things easier for wade coming of the ball. hopefully van gundy decides that williams is a first half only player. he's probably the only guy in the entire league who's worse then tony parker in the 4th quarter. i'm wondering if simien can be an effective nba player. probably not this year though. the real question with him is can he stay healthy for more then 20 games.
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post #16 of 144
10/23/05 at 5:20pm
Make no mistake this team is formidable and skilled. Problem is the chemistry and who they added and subtracted. Damon Jones wasn't a huge loss but I feel Eddie Jones was. Who knows maybe Posey will step it up.

As I previously mentioned though Walker and Williams were a big step backwards.
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post #17 of 144
10/23/05 at 6:12pm
Antoine is a sharpshooter in the regular season...but put him in the playoffs and he loses his shot. The guy can't handle pressure in his face whatsoever. All you have to do is breathe on him strongly before he lines up a shot and its a clanker.

Jason Williams...they needed legit point guards to back up that position. Payton is a fantastic pickup because you know he likes to handle the ball, which is exactly what the Heat needed last year. Wade was being trapped bringing the ball up court rendering him ineffective against the pistons. A strong ball handler like payton will allow wade to be more effective on the offense. With payton, williams, and the returning keyon dooling I think Riley made some smart moves solidifying that position. I agree that white chocloate will be benching in the late 3rd and 4th and the ball will be in dooling/payton's hands

As far as losing eddie...that was a big loss. I have been a huge fan of his forever now. Very unselfish and plays hard defense. Posey is more of a lateral move as he is a very good defender also, but sort of a headcase from his time in Memphis. Lets see what happens.

I agree with Johnny. The heat right now are built as an excellent regular season team...their playoff caliber is still up in the air, but then again wasn't that the same knock on them last year and they got 10 minutes away from going to the finals.
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post #18 of 144
10/24/05 at 1:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fazer
With payton, williams, and the returning keyon dooling I think Riley made some smart moves solidifying that position. I agree that white chocloate will be benching in the late 3rd and 4th and the ball will be in dooling/payton's hands
I've got some bad news for you. Keyon Dolling is gone. He's going to be starting for Orlando this year. Williams is certainly going to be getting some playing time in the second half, although I definitely agree that a rested Gary Payton will be valuable playing point at the end of the game.

Quote:
As far as losing eddie...that was a big loss. I have been a huge fan of his forever now. Very unselfish and plays hard defense. Posey is more of a lateral move as he is a very good defender also, but sort of a headcase from his time in Memphis. Lets see what happens.
And to make that a bit worse Posey hyperextended his finger against the Pistons last night. Doesn't appear to be too bad, but with his defensive ability he's probably the most important new guy to the Heat.

Count me in among those thinking the Heat won't be as good as last year. I think they're the third best team in the East, behind Detroit and Indiana. I don't think they'll necessarily do that great in the regular season. I think it's possible that Wade and Shaq may hold back a bit more during the regular season, because that seems to have been their major problem last year, but because their team isn't as good I doubt they'll do any better in the playoffs.
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post #19 of 144
10/24/05 at 4:00am
Jesus, how much personnel did miami move this offseason!?
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post #20 of 144
10/25/05 at 2:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fazer
Jesus, how much personnel did miami move this offseason!?
Waaaay too much
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post #21 of 144
10/25/05 at 5:03am
i wouldn't call keyon dooling a loss. i'd much rather have payton or williams. i think the heat are the best team in the east because flip saunders is no larry brown, shaq is getting fat again and wade in unstopable!
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post #22 of 144
10/27/05 at 2:31pm
I was reading Chad Ford's chat on ESPN and he made two points that were very intersting to me, although one I'd already thought of.

1. "After San Antonio the next 5 best teams in the league play in the Eastern Conference" I definitely think the next 3 best do, and Cleveland and New Jersey are realistically about as good as Sacramento, Denver and Houston, although I personally think New Jersey is a bit overrated. How different are they from the team that got swept by Miami last year?

2. "The Central Division is the best division in basketball this year" Easily. From top to bottom. Realistically all 5 teams could make the playoffs, although I'm thinking Chicago is going to have a bit of a dropoff from last year and be the team to miss out. Milwaukee is looking much more solid now that they have acquired Jamaal Magloire. Cleveland is better than last year and the Pacers and Pistons are the two best teams in the Conference and 2nd and 3rd best overall.
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post #23 of 144
10/28/05 at 12:51pm
i agree with ya on the nets. they should be pretty good this season but nothing great.
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post #24 of 144
10/28/05 at 1:26pm
Thread Starter 
Anybody seen Latrell Sprewell?

And Andrew Bogut was first being supplanted in the starting lineup by Dan Gadzuric, but now with Magloire aboard... does this Bogut cat suck?
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post #25 of 144
10/28/05 at 1:29pm
I saw him down at the mission asking for food for his kids. He didn't make enough money last year...

I just pray to God that the Lakers don't sign that freak.
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post #26 of 144
10/28/05 at 2:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fabfunk
And Andrew Bogut was first being supplanted in the starting lineup by Dan Gadzuric, but now with Magloire aboard... does this Bogut cat suck?
More like Andrew Bogut supplanting Joe Smith at Power Forward. He'll split some time there or so it is said.

As for the east its certainly stronger but its only edge is on defense. Offensively I still think the west is stronger.
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post #27 of 144
11/3/05 at 12:36pm
I don't think I can maintain an entire thread dedicated to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2005-2006, so I'll just put my thoughts on their games in here - hopefully generating some good ol' NBA discussion.

The Cav's looked good last night. They had a few mental lapses on defense and they did play the OKCTY Hornets (don't let their first game fool you folks, they are not a good team right now) so it's tough to judge, but if they can gel - they are gonna be tough. My guess is a fourth of fifth seed in the playoffs - we'll see. Also, David Stern was at The Q last night, you know the man is gonna ride LeBron all season long.

LeBron continues to solidify his status of Da Man last night. Six three pointers (including 4 in one minute 44 seconds) and 31 points. Damon Jones played well and Donyell Marshall was all over it. Larry Hughes struggles a bit (offensively), but his defense was solid.

They have their work cut out for them as expectations are very high. Let's just hope that the games they lose, they are competitive.

We'll see...
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post #28 of 144
11/3/05 at 6:21pm
The Central in the East is just brutal. The Bulls with a heathly Curry would have been tough but they will be lucky for 4th and 5th is likely. Shame cuz outside Miami there isn't a team worth a damn. Fortunatly all 5 should/could make the playoffs. West coast trips will tell if the Bulls are any good.

Cleveland looked great with the new additions. don't know if you can be a sleeper with Lebron, but if the Heat falter I could see them being a force in the playoffs.
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post #29 of 144
11/3/05 at 7:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anyawatchin Angel
The Central in the East is just brutal. The Bulls with a heathly Curry would have been tough but they will be lucky for 4th and 5th is likely. Shame cuz outside Miami there isn't a team worth a damn. Fortunatly all 5 should/could make the playoffs. West coast trips will tell if the Bulls are any good.

Cleveland looked great with the new additions. don't know if you can be a sleeper with Lebron, but if the Heat falter I could see them being a force in the playoffs.
Wrong. The Bulls have problems, Curry was not the solution. We need some size because we're going to get killed on the boards, but something tells me Curry's meager 4 rebounds per game would not suffice. Once you get over the fact that he's 6'11, 300 lbs, you realize he's a big softie looking to collect a check.
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post #30 of 144
11/3/05 at 8:22pm
I know Curry wasn't a rebounder but you had to pay attention to him offensively which led to the outside shooters open. Some nights he sucked but when I saw him play he owened the Pacers and when he kicked out guys were wide open.

The guys they have now are nothing special and don't need to be doubled. Now Gordon and Heinrich will get that.
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post #31 of 144
11/3/05 at 8:26pm
Sweetney will be solid in the post, and as long as Chandler doesn't try to do too much he'll be ok too. Our problem so far is rebounding (we were outrebounded last night 58-34), we solve that and I think you can count on us making the playoffs.
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post #32 of 144
11/3/05 at 8:39pm
Curry wasn't a rebounder OR defender. There was a reason he was riding the bench at the end of the game.

That said, the Bulls are going to get manhandled in the middle this year. More important than the loss of Curry is the loss of Antonio Davis. He actually brought toughness to the middle. Sweetney needs to hit the treadmill before he's going to get meaningful minutes.
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post #33 of 144
11/3/05 at 9:30pm
I'm not going to stick up for Curry's defense either but outside Shaq there really aren't alot of Centers in the East you have to worry about scoring on you so you can live with his shortcomings on D.

The Bulls still need a big guard who can stop(slow down) the big time scorers like LeBron, Wade, and Redd. Untill that happens they won't make the jump to the next level.
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post #34 of 144
11/5/05 at 2:43pm
Ouch! We are only two games in, but SA showd the Cav's last night way they are the champs. Something about the Cav's in SA though. They haven't won there in 16 tries.

Arghh. Let's see how they recover tonight.
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post #35 of 144
11/6/05 at 1:32am
Yeah San Antonio looks great so far. However the Cavs really haven't gelled as a team yet. Give em a little time. Give Larry Hughes years it might help in the expectation department.
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post #36 of 144
11/20/05 at 5:11pm
Thread Starter 
Man, while Stephon Marbury has always been something of a loser, it's kinda lame to see how, in NY, Larry Brown has thrown him under the bus by taking advantage of his seemingly endless honeymoon with the press to blame Marbury for the Knicks' struggles. Although it's true that Marbury never seems to be a fan of the team-centered fast break and he cannot lead the team, Brown fighting this war through the media in pressing Isaiah Thomas to make a trade is a bit pathetic.

I see Marbury in a Trail Blazers uniform before the end of the year.
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post #37 of 144
11/20/05 at 5:59pm
the blazers are trying to stay away from player's like marbury.

if fully convinced that even if the spurs made a trade for marbury they'd somehow miss out on the playoffs.
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post #38 of 144
11/20/05 at 6:48pm
I wonder if KG would want him back?
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post #39 of 144
11/21/05 at 11:37am
Just to keep this thread chugging along - six in a row for the CAV's.
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post #40 of 144
11/28/05 at 12:21am
Good thing Lakers 1st round pick can play basketball.
Quote:
While coaching the Bulls, Phil Jackson had little use for rookies, even the ones who had stayed in college for four years. Now with the Lakers, Jackson has center Andrew Bynum, who just turned 18 in October and is the youngest player ever drafted.

Jackson often ends practice by having his players shoot free throws, and the players have to run sprints if they don't make a certain number. Recently, he announced that each of the 15 players would shoot one free throw and that the team would have to make 12 to end practice.
Jackson then turned to Bynum and said, ''What percentage is that, Andrew?''

''I have no idea,'' Bynum responded.

''C'mon, what fraction does that break down to?" Jackson prodded.

After a moment of silence, Jackson said, ''Four of five.''

That figures to be the first of many lessons coming Bynum's way. Now he probably knows that 12-for-15 is 80 percent.
Congrats to the NJ school system.
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post #41 of 144
11/28/05 at 10:32pm
I'm finding it borderline incredible that my (at least for now) Hornets are 6-6. I knew they would be a lot better and that all the people talking trash about how horrible they would be this year were smoking something, but they have been actually good so far.

Chris Paul is by far the ROY so far. He's scoring, passing, stealing and even rebounding. The kid just does everything right. In the game vs. the Wolves, Kevin Garnett didn't shake his hand and instead said "Who are you rook?" In the last few minutes, Paul drove on Garnet twice and scored, on the 2nd one right at him. After that second one, Paul backpeddled, winked at him and reportedly said "That's who I am." I love this kid.

David West is scoring like crazy and showing why he was the college player of the year when he was drafted. JR Smith was injured for a few games but is still a very young player who plays lights out one game and questionable the next.

Eventually, they are going to fall behind. They are too young and inexperienced and too small at C and PF to keep up. But with Paul, JR, Mason, Birdman, Rasual Butler and Speedy Claxton flying up and down the court it has been really fun to watch. Next year, with 2 #1 draft picks and a lot of cap $$, I expect them to make the playoffs. I'm telling you: watch this team, they are fun to watch even when they lose.

Ultimately, I think they spend another year in OKC, but I hope they come back, because after years of putting up with malcontents, old guys, cancers, coaching changes and a horrible season, they could put butts in the seats in NO.

Oh and the Hornets play the man, the myth, the cancer Baron Davis and the Warriors. BD will donate $ 500 for every point he scores tonight to Hurricane relief. I hope he scores 100 points and the Warriors lose.
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post #42 of 144
12/7/05 at 5:19pm
Chris Paul is definitely living up to his expectations right away, so as a Hornets fan I'd be happy about that. They still are pretty weak across the board though.

What I've been most shocked by this year is how awful the Rockets have been. I thought adding a 3-point shooting PG in Alston (who granted has been hurt, as has McGrady) would be just the missing piece they needed. Not to mention Stromile Swift has been a bust.
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post #43 of 144
12/7/05 at 8:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShortRound
What I've been most shocked by this year is how awful the Rockets have been. I thought adding a 3-point shooting PG in Alston (who granted has been hurt, as has McGrady) would be just the missing piece they needed. Not to mention Stromile Swift has been a bust.
Indeed. It's been a couple of offseason flops for the Rockets lately. Mike James is really outplaying Alston, and Swift has just graduated to full-time bum status. They really need a contributing forward so that Juwan Howard can finally retire. At this point, Bob Sura isn't gonna be their savior... might trading McGrady or Yao be the answer? Or is it Van Gundy?
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post #44 of 144
12/8/05 at 4:15am
Its probably Van Gundy and his weird system.
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post #45 of 144
12/16/05 at 6:49am
riles back behind the bench. when i first heard about this i was pretty furious. i like stan. i assumed riley ousted him but from everything i hear it was stan who decided to step down. not a bad insurance policy i might add.
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post #46 of 144
12/17/05 at 4:15am
Not sure what to think of that deal. One things for sure though the guys Riles has signed (or brought in) over this offseason better get their asses in gear and if anyone will do it its gonna be Riley.
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post #47 of 144
12/20/05 at 12:11am
Thread Starter 
Up here in New York, it seems there's an article every week about New York needing to trade Stephon Marbury, and dammit, the time is right. It wouldn't be impossible for a multi-team deal to germinate, as there are so many people on the market right now... Ron Artest comes to mind. I think Artest would be a great fit with New York, and dealing the pouty, ineffectual Marbury is the right thing to do, but I know that egomaniac Isiah Thomas won't do it (although neither will Indiana, for the matter).

I'm still stung by how Isiah handled the Allan Houston situation. Isiah went to the media andopenly pleaded to make sure Houston would retire. He would have released him underneath the "Allan Houston Rule" but he realized that Houston would try to sign with another team instead, so he kept him on the payroll, meaning that if he stayed on the team he'd either have to retire or sit on the bench. I'm fully convinced Houston could have lit up the scoreboard off the bench for any team desperate for a shooter. He wasn't ancient, and his legs were good enough for twenty minutes a game, and I could watch him hit that jump shot, with it's textbook form, all game. Classless.
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post #48 of 144
12/21/05 at 7:32am
umm, that kobe guy...yeah he's pretty good.
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post #49 of 144
12/21/05 at 12:13pm
No doubt. 62 points sans playing in the 4th quarter!
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post #50 of 144
12/21/05 at 5:41pm
That was a thing of beauty to watch...on 58% (or so) shooting.

Not bad at all.

I have no idea where this team is headed now...
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