A couple years ago I had an NBA thread where I was the only person who posted in it. I believe it was called something like: "Ken talks to himself about the NBA." I'm starting this thread in the hopes that others will contribute, but if not, I'll rename it to the appropriate title and continue posting here anyway.
Feel free to ask any questions, whether you need advice on fantasy basketball, or if you just want to know something random, like how the Lakers are doing or who the best player is in the NBA. I also hope to periodically put good YouTube videos in here.
In the holiday spirit, here's the first vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKqFg7Tuocg
NBA 2007-2008 Thread
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Bringerofpie
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What are the top few teams? Where do the Heat and the 76ers stand? I don't have much time to follow sports.
"Fuck it man, you just gotta do it."
Joe Snyder
Representing FLF (Fort Lauderdale Footbaggers)
http://onlycountria.myminicity.com
Joe Snyder
Representing FLF (Fort Lauderdale Footbaggers)
http://onlycountria.myminicity.com
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mosher
- brutal footbag cronie
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Even I am surprised by this but... I give a shit about my local NBA team this season!
Go Raptors!!!
My family has been pretty into them for a while and I couldn't resist the pull. Also, Toronto has a pretty interesting and developing team.
I found myself talking about basketball with normal people the other day that like.. know stuff about sports and I realized that I had ventured out into previously foreign territory but I think I pretended pretty good.
I didn't mean to like the NBA but wouldn't you know it I fell for the hook!
Go Raptors!!!
My family has been pretty into them for a while and I couldn't resist the pull. Also, Toronto has a pretty interesting and developing team.
I found myself talking about basketball with normal people the other day that like.. know stuff about sports and I realized that I had ventured out into previously foreign territory but I think I pretended pretty good.
I didn't mean to like the NBA but wouldn't you know it I fell for the hook!
Tom Mosher
hate is a waste of passion!
hate is a waste of passion!
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Bringerofpie
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- Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
I'm so mad. The Heat should at least be decent after last year.bdams19 wrote:Heat suck pretty bad, 76ers aren't great.Bringerofpie wrote:What are the top few teams? Where do the Heat and the 76ers stand? I don't have much time to follow sports.
I live in South Florida, and I'm from Philadelphia. How do you think I feel about my sports teams?
"Fuck it man, you just gotta do it."
Joe Snyder
Representing FLF (Fort Lauderdale Footbaggers)
http://onlycountria.myminicity.com
Joe Snyder
Representing FLF (Fort Lauderdale Footbaggers)
http://onlycountria.myminicity.com
Cool! Responses!
1. The top few teams in the NBA this year are:
* The Spurs. Nobody is talking about them, but they have the best record in the west, and the second best record in the league. But more than anything, they have experience in the playoffs. Don't be surprised if they win it all again this year.
*The Suns. Great record, lots of contributors, and they are playing with a sense of urgency this year, since they know Nash doesn't have that much time left to win a chip. I think the Suns are going to do their best to get a good record in the regular season in the hopes of avoiding the Spurs until the Western Finals. I really think the only team the Suns should worry about are the Spurs.
*The Celtics. Garnett, Pierce, and Allen have good chemistry, and their bench is surprising people too. They have the best record in the NBA at the moment, but if anything the biggest thing they have helping them is that they play in the (L)eastern conference. There are only 2-3 real teams in the East, as opposed to the West, which is loaded. The Celts are pretty much guaranteed to make the Eastern Finals, and have a good shot at making the Finals. Who in the East could threaten them?
*...the Magic. Howard is unstoppable, and they are playing well. That said, I think they're too young. I wouldn't be surprised if the Celts beat them, or even the Pistons. That said, they are in the conversation for being one of the top teams, but not as strong as the first four teams I mentioned.
*There are a few other teams which are solid, but not in the same level as the aforementioned ones. Pistons, Hornets, and Mavs are all pretty solid teams too.
2. The Heat are really horrible this year. They are 4-13 right now, and only 2 other teams have a worse record. Those other teams play in the West though, and don't have Shaq and DWade. That makes their record even more notably bad. Why are the Heat sucking this year? Well, DWade was out with injury at the start of the season, and that's tough to deal with. But Shaq is getting old (and so is Zo, Jason Williams, etc.) and that doesn't help. The Heat are too old and too injured to threaten for the title this year. Heat fans should be happy you won it a couple years ago, because it ain't happening again anytime soon.
3. The "overpay" of NBA players. A normal person like you or me earns a small salary, but we expect to earn that salary every year for a good 40 years or so. An NBA player can expect to play for about 10 years... there are exceptions who play between 14-18, but that's rarer. In general, these players don't have workskills beyond playing basketball, so oftentimes the money they earn in their playing days needs to support them and their families for the rest of their life. If they invest well, they should be fine, but you never know what injuries or the market will do to you. I think NBA salaries have come under control a bit since the late 90s. Now with the salary cap and luxury taxes, you see less insane contracts.
4. Toronto Raptors are pretty promising. Bosh is a legit allstar, but injuries have slowed him this year. You guys got a steal this year by getting Jamario Moon for cheap, and you have some very solid international players. Youth and inexperience are what hurt you the most, but you will be a very solid team in a couple years. You have a good GM too, which is something you shouldn't take for granted.
5. Philadelphia. You had a HORRIBLE GM in Billy King, but you fired him last week, so that might help in the long run. After you dumped AI and Chris Webber, I figured you would be in rebuilding mode, but I learned recently that you have the seventh highest payroll in the league. I wouldn't hold my breath for the playoffs or even a winning record.
1. The top few teams in the NBA this year are:
* The Spurs. Nobody is talking about them, but they have the best record in the west, and the second best record in the league. But more than anything, they have experience in the playoffs. Don't be surprised if they win it all again this year.
*The Suns. Great record, lots of contributors, and they are playing with a sense of urgency this year, since they know Nash doesn't have that much time left to win a chip. I think the Suns are going to do their best to get a good record in the regular season in the hopes of avoiding the Spurs until the Western Finals. I really think the only team the Suns should worry about are the Spurs.
*The Celtics. Garnett, Pierce, and Allen have good chemistry, and their bench is surprising people too. They have the best record in the NBA at the moment, but if anything the biggest thing they have helping them is that they play in the (L)eastern conference. There are only 2-3 real teams in the East, as opposed to the West, which is loaded. The Celts are pretty much guaranteed to make the Eastern Finals, and have a good shot at making the Finals. Who in the East could threaten them?
*...the Magic. Howard is unstoppable, and they are playing well. That said, I think they're too young. I wouldn't be surprised if the Celts beat them, or even the Pistons. That said, they are in the conversation for being one of the top teams, but not as strong as the first four teams I mentioned.
*There are a few other teams which are solid, but not in the same level as the aforementioned ones. Pistons, Hornets, and Mavs are all pretty solid teams too.
2. The Heat are really horrible this year. They are 4-13 right now, and only 2 other teams have a worse record. Those other teams play in the West though, and don't have Shaq and DWade. That makes their record even more notably bad. Why are the Heat sucking this year? Well, DWade was out with injury at the start of the season, and that's tough to deal with. But Shaq is getting old (and so is Zo, Jason Williams, etc.) and that doesn't help. The Heat are too old and too injured to threaten for the title this year. Heat fans should be happy you won it a couple years ago, because it ain't happening again anytime soon.
3. The "overpay" of NBA players. A normal person like you or me earns a small salary, but we expect to earn that salary every year for a good 40 years or so. An NBA player can expect to play for about 10 years... there are exceptions who play between 14-18, but that's rarer. In general, these players don't have workskills beyond playing basketball, so oftentimes the money they earn in their playing days needs to support them and their families for the rest of their life. If they invest well, they should be fine, but you never know what injuries or the market will do to you. I think NBA salaries have come under control a bit since the late 90s. Now with the salary cap and luxury taxes, you see less insane contracts.
4. Toronto Raptors are pretty promising. Bosh is a legit allstar, but injuries have slowed him this year. You guys got a steal this year by getting Jamario Moon for cheap, and you have some very solid international players. Youth and inexperience are what hurt you the most, but you will be a very solid team in a couple years. You have a good GM too, which is something you shouldn't take for granted.
5. Philadelphia. You had a HORRIBLE GM in Billy King, but you fired him last week, so that might help in the long run. After you dumped AI and Chris Webber, I figured you would be in rebuilding mode, but I learned recently that you have the seventh highest payroll in the league. I wouldn't hold my breath for the playoffs or even a winning record.
Bogut = bogus
Can't stand big men with no talent. If i was as big as Bogut, and had the talent i have NOW (which is average at best ) i would be unstoppable.
I am surprised the celtics have lost at all this season. They really shouldn't lose more than 10 games. Maybe beat the bulls regular season wins record of... 70? or was it 72.
Can't stand big men with no talent. If i was as big as Bogut, and had the talent i have NOW (which is average at best ) i would be unstoppable.
I am surprised the celtics have lost at all this season. They really shouldn't lose more than 10 games. Maybe beat the bulls regular season wins record of... 70? or was it 72.
JSACK wrote:alright well me and obara'bars, shredded our dicks off, since we are both in high school, obviously there is some sort of talent show
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Eskimo Joe
- Cold Blooded
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- Location: Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
The Warriors are an intriguing team. I think a lot of people wrote off last year's historic playoff upset as a fluke, but I personally wouldn't be surprised to see them make the playoffs again this year and upset their way to the second round.
When they got Baron Davis a couple years ago, it was very clear that the team was his, and that they couldn't win without him. I firmly believed this was the case up until this year. I still think he is their best player, but I think Stephen Jackson is their emotional core, and that they really need his emotion (and defense) to beat the better teams. I see the Warriors getting the 7th or 8th seed in the West this season, provided two really important things happen:
1. Baron stays healthy for at least 90% of the season.
2. Stephen Jackson doesn't do anything stupid or go insane.
Neither of those are givens. Baron has a painful history of getting injured all the time, and S. Jack is possibly crazier than Rasheed Wallace.
I've noticed that Monta Ellis has been improving lately, which is another promising development. If he becomes the kind of player who can run the team for small stretches when Baron is resting on the bench, then this team all of a sudden has a much better chance of making the playoffs.
The Warriors kind of play the same style as the Suns, just a lot looser and with worse defense. I personally hope they make the playoffs, just because it would be fun to watch. That said, I don't think they have a chance to make it to the WCF.
Oh, and if you want more Warriors coverage, check out this blog:
www.goldenstateofmind.com
It's really well done.
When they got Baron Davis a couple years ago, it was very clear that the team was his, and that they couldn't win without him. I firmly believed this was the case up until this year. I still think he is their best player, but I think Stephen Jackson is their emotional core, and that they really need his emotion (and defense) to beat the better teams. I see the Warriors getting the 7th or 8th seed in the West this season, provided two really important things happen:
1. Baron stays healthy for at least 90% of the season.
2. Stephen Jackson doesn't do anything stupid or go insane.
Neither of those are givens. Baron has a painful history of getting injured all the time, and S. Jack is possibly crazier than Rasheed Wallace.
I've noticed that Monta Ellis has been improving lately, which is another promising development. If he becomes the kind of player who can run the team for small stretches when Baron is resting on the bench, then this team all of a sudden has a much better chance of making the playoffs.
The Warriors kind of play the same style as the Suns, just a lot looser and with worse defense. I personally hope they make the playoffs, just because it would be fun to watch. That said, I don't think they have a chance to make it to the WCF.
Oh, and if you want more Warriors coverage, check out this blog:
www.goldenstateofmind.com
It's really well done.
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BainbridgeShred
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hacksterbator
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bigdirtyfoot
- Sloppy
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There are lots of problems with the Bulls.
I'd say the main problem continues to be their lack of a scoring big man. They have a few good big men, but they all do the same thing (mostly defense). They also lack a real #1 go-to-guy. Is it Gordon? Deng? Gordon isn't having the best year (neither is Wallace or Heinrich), and Deng is really more of a complimentary player. The last 2 years they had lots of chances to acquire a scoring big man, but were too reluctant to part with their players. I think they were morons for not trading for Pau Gasol last year. And really, if their whole plan is to try and win it all now, what is the point in holding onto players like Gordon or Deng?
Another problem was all the trade rumors in the beginning of the year. Because Kobe is the only player in the NBA with a "no-trade clause", Chicago was one of the only possible places he could have been traded to. For the first 10 games of the season or so, it really seemed like the Bulls were more worried about who was going to get traded, than they were worried about winning games.
There are also problems with coaching. Scott Skiles deserves a lot of credit for making the Bulls respectable in the post-MJ era. That said, he'd been there a long time, and his team may have started to tune him out. That's why he got fired.
Oh, and did I mention that Ben Wallace magically sucks now? He got paid, then got old in one year. His stats are horrid this year, and I don't see him providing veteran leadership either.
Finally, another huge problem that hurts the Bulls is the simple fact that the rest of the Eastern Conference got better. Last year the Bulls could have contended for the Eastern title. This year, the Celtics and Pistons just look way stronger.
Right now, I think the Bucks are probably stronger than the Bulls, which isn't something I would have thought before the year started. I think the Bulls will still make the playoffs, but they'll get swept in the first round, and should really start rebuilding sooner than later.
Oh, and if anybody is deciding what game to watch on Xmas, I guarantee that Suns-Lakers will be by far the best.
I'd say the main problem continues to be their lack of a scoring big man. They have a few good big men, but they all do the same thing (mostly defense). They also lack a real #1 go-to-guy. Is it Gordon? Deng? Gordon isn't having the best year (neither is Wallace or Heinrich), and Deng is really more of a complimentary player. The last 2 years they had lots of chances to acquire a scoring big man, but were too reluctant to part with their players. I think they were morons for not trading for Pau Gasol last year. And really, if their whole plan is to try and win it all now, what is the point in holding onto players like Gordon or Deng?
Another problem was all the trade rumors in the beginning of the year. Because Kobe is the only player in the NBA with a "no-trade clause", Chicago was one of the only possible places he could have been traded to. For the first 10 games of the season or so, it really seemed like the Bulls were more worried about who was going to get traded, than they were worried about winning games.
There are also problems with coaching. Scott Skiles deserves a lot of credit for making the Bulls respectable in the post-MJ era. That said, he'd been there a long time, and his team may have started to tune him out. That's why he got fired.
Oh, and did I mention that Ben Wallace magically sucks now? He got paid, then got old in one year. His stats are horrid this year, and I don't see him providing veteran leadership either.
Finally, another huge problem that hurts the Bulls is the simple fact that the rest of the Eastern Conference got better. Last year the Bulls could have contended for the Eastern title. This year, the Celtics and Pistons just look way stronger.
Right now, I think the Bucks are probably stronger than the Bulls, which isn't something I would have thought before the year started. I think the Bulls will still make the playoffs, but they'll get swept in the first round, and should really start rebuilding sooner than later.
Oh, and if anybody is deciding what game to watch on Xmas, I guarantee that Suns-Lakers will be by far the best.
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BainbridgeShred
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Look, I just want to say that I know people have for years been looking and talking about who would be the next Micheal Jordan, and I hate myself for saying this, but I've found my player.
Brandon motherfucking Roy.
Now maybe I'm just a pissed off Sonic's fan who's looking for the next new franchise of the Northwest, but ever since I started watching this guy play ball at U-Dub, I've been absolutely stoked about this him. He literally, has always seems to make the right move. When he has the basketball; he has the scoring potential of Kobe, and the decision making of Steve Nash. This guy is going to be the deadly player of the NBA for the next generation. If Lebron ever gets more help, he'll have to share that role a bit, but even looking at the other stars that came into the league in '03, they're all starting to kind of piss me off. That is, besides for Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa, but that's only because:
A. They're fucking sick
B. They play on a dope team
and
C. I am gay for the Sun's and their hunky Canadian point guard
Now Canucks, don't think I'm warming up to you, 'cause I'm not. I always keep atleast one eye pointed north, and I'm pretty sure I'm one of many NBA babies of Nash, which I'm pretty sure gives him duel citizenship. Atleast thats how it works if you have a kid here.
But look, in the words of Pittsburgh safety Anthony Smith, "I've been making predictions like this my whole life." Whether or not my prediction will be as shitty as Smith's was, Brandon Roy is the real deal and he's going to lighting up the stars of '03 for years to come, drenching them in sweat as he reigns jump shots over them. Sorry to the Hackers of Miami, Denver, and Cleavland, but that's just how it's gotta be from now on.
And before you call me a fucking idiot, just wait until B-Roy gets a certain big on his team who might currently be on the injury list, so that they can develop together into the sickest fucking guard/center combo in motherfucking history. Gonna have the Northwest saying Payton and Kemp were girls.
GO FUCKING BLAZERS BITCHES. NORTHWEST IS TAKING OVER. WE HAVEN'T HAD HITS LIKE THIS SINCE BABY GOT BACK. FUCK K.D.
Brandon motherfucking Roy.
Now maybe I'm just a pissed off Sonic's fan who's looking for the next new franchise of the Northwest, but ever since I started watching this guy play ball at U-Dub, I've been absolutely stoked about this him. He literally, has always seems to make the right move. When he has the basketball; he has the scoring potential of Kobe, and the decision making of Steve Nash. This guy is going to be the deadly player of the NBA for the next generation. If Lebron ever gets more help, he'll have to share that role a bit, but even looking at the other stars that came into the league in '03, they're all starting to kind of piss me off. That is, besides for Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa, but that's only because:
A. They're fucking sick
B. They play on a dope team
and
C. I am gay for the Sun's and their hunky Canadian point guard
Now Canucks, don't think I'm warming up to you, 'cause I'm not. I always keep atleast one eye pointed north, and I'm pretty sure I'm one of many NBA babies of Nash, which I'm pretty sure gives him duel citizenship. Atleast thats how it works if you have a kid here.
But look, in the words of Pittsburgh safety Anthony Smith, "I've been making predictions like this my whole life." Whether or not my prediction will be as shitty as Smith's was, Brandon Roy is the real deal and he's going to lighting up the stars of '03 for years to come, drenching them in sweat as he reigns jump shots over them. Sorry to the Hackers of Miami, Denver, and Cleavland, but that's just how it's gotta be from now on.
And before you call me a fucking idiot, just wait until B-Roy gets a certain big on his team who might currently be on the injury list, so that they can develop together into the sickest fucking guard/center combo in motherfucking history. Gonna have the Northwest saying Payton and Kemp were girls.
GO FUCKING BLAZERS BITCHES. NORTHWEST IS TAKING OVER. WE HAVEN'T HAD HITS LIKE THIS SINCE BABY GOT BACK. FUCK K.D.
I'm saying that Delfion is a much better aquisition for the Raps. This kid plays some very smart basketball......also our back-up point guard Jose calderon will make a huge impact in years to come. He was running the best Assist/turnover ratio in the Nba for a few weeks.C-Fan wrote: 4. Toronto Raptors are pretty promising. Bosh is a legit allstar, but injuries have slowed him this year. You guys got a steal this year by getting Jamario Moon for cheap, and you have some very solid international players. Youth and inexperience are what hurt you the most, but you will be a very solid team in a couple years. You have a good GM too, which is something you shouldn't take for granted.
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/jose_cald ... l?nav=page
Also the raptors took down the Spurs last week by 10. Not to shabby! As Ken said, once they get over their youth and reletive inexperience, they will be contenders for the championship. I see them advancing to the second round, but an encounter with Boston or Detroit in round 2 would most likely be the end of their season. Then again, they made the playoff last year after starting 1-15, so when it comes to these guy, watch out.....they might just steal some wins out from under the NBA's big boys.
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BainbridgeShred
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