NBA: Looking forward to this year?

[Black Lushus 0]

I'm more worried about Allen Houston's health in general than I am chemistry at this point....plus I just don't trust Lenny Wilken's coaching skills...he just seems good enough, but not good enough to get over the hump...I'm optimistic, yet im skeptical...

[ant_7000 0]

Damn, Eddy Curry slimmed down lost 40 lbs, he looks different. Its going to be a long season for my Bulls AGAIN, they lost by 30 yesterday.

[alfdogg 0]

Rockets pull out a close one against Sacramento in China, winning by two points. I only saw about the last eight minutes, but the Kings were up from at least that point until the last minute.

 

The Kings have a Chinese guy playing for them as well (at least for training camp), a PG named Liu Wei, who played with Yao on the Shanghai Sharks and the Chinese National team.

[Shanghai Kid 0]

Damn, Eddy Curry slimmed down lost 40 lbs, he looks different. Its going to be a long season for my Bulls AGAIN, they lost by 30 yesterday.

I watched that game, they looked TERRIBLE. I think their going to rival the Bobcats for the worst record.

[razazteca 0]

Which team will get 20 wins 1st: Bulls, Bobcats, Clippers, Hawks?

[Guest Crazy Dan]

I am looking forward to this season becuase:

 

-The Western Confrence will be a tight race due to:

 

San Antonio got Brent Barry, who adds a versatile player who can pass, run the point, and shoot the trey. Might be the difference maker for the Spurs. When you have Duncan and the team to support him, you will hear talks of NBA Champion throughout the season. Barry will make the team that much better, which is a scart thing.

 

The Timberwolves have Garnett and a solid team, they too will be a top team again. But Cassel needs to stay healthy, which is not likely due to his age and injury history. But I heard mention that Olowakandi should be improved, which I will believe when I see it, but if he does the T-Wolves will be tought to beat.

 

The Kings I am not sure how the loss of Vlade will hurt, but Miller is a solid Center, who is a great passer, can shoot the mid range jumper, and if needed, be a player who will take on all comers. The key to their success is how well Webber heals and stays healthy. If they can play a full season together, then Kings can't be counted out, but Ostertag on the Kings? Also, the Kings can't afford to lose one of the Best 6th Men in the league to a freakish ab injury that sidelines him. Peja needs to be the number one option. And Bibby has shown that he has the cajones to step it up, so I look for him to continue to get better.

 

The Mavs will be fun to watch, but still can't play defense and have decided that any player who actually hustles on defense has to go. Explains why they dealt Najera, who was their energy off the bench and best defender. Also, how will the loss of Nash hurt them and can his replacement fill in and be productive. But, I think they have too many options on O not enough D to win. But anytime you have Cuban, the Mavs will get attention. I see another first round exit at best.

 

The Rockets got rid of Francis and got a top player in T-Mac. Yao continues to improve and will be one of the best Centers in the league one day. If Yao and T-Mac can coexist and feed off each other, this is a dangerous team. Especially with Shaq out East and not playing with Kobe.

 

The Suns have talent, but I am not sure Nash will push them over the edge as much as he was signed for. But Amare and Marion are only getting better and if Nash can dish it, the Suns have playoffs in their sights, but they might have over paid for a 32 year PG.

 

The Nuggetts have a very stacked team. Carmelo, despite the fact he needs to grow up, is still a vey exciting player. He will only get better. This is a very up and comming team, which looks like they will make the playoffs. Maybe even win a series. Not bad considering this was a very bad team for many years.

 

Kobe got his wish, he is the man. Odom might suprise many and Butler is a very good player, so Kobe does have support, but he does not have Shaq. I guess the thought of having a team which makes the Final year in and year out was too much for his ego to take. I think the Lakers can make the playoffs, but it will not be easy. Vlade is a nice pickup, but he is 37? years old and the Lakers might overplay him as they don't have a good back up. Kobe got what he wish for and that always seems to blow up in his face. So I don't see this being a last place team, but they will struggle to make the playoffs. Kobe is a great player, but he is not Jordon. He needs to learn to elevate his teammates to his level to be even mentioned in the same breathe. Tomjanivich is a good coach, but I don't see Kobe being able to do this by himself. What good is 35+ points a game when you lose. Right now the Lakers have a lot to prove and they might miss out on the playoffs, as the Western Teams seemed to get improve, while anytime you lose Shaq, you are going to get worse by default. Somehow, I don't think teams get too nervous at Kobe-Walton. Might have to put Laker fan on suicide watch.

 

My last West team is my favorite team and of course one of the worse. Man, the Warriors have reached double digit years of missing the playoffs, but the last two seasons have been better. Musselman helped right the ship. The Warriors began to overachieve and play some defense. The Warriors finally drafted some talent and instead of drafting a bust, got a player to watch in Pietrus, who might be considered a jewel that got overlooked. Also, Richardson and Murphy have improved each season. Also, their first rounder actually wanted to play for the Warriors and no one else. Huh? That is the first time I have heard that before, usually it is the other way around. Chris Mullin should be an upgrad in general manager. Fisher was overpaid for, but he works hard, leads by example, never complains, and can hit the clutch shot. He will help the team by the intangibles. An upgrade over cancer Van Exel. I like Speedy Claxton, who was slowed with injuries last year. He should get better. And I am still not sold on Dunleavy, but he is getting good reviews, so I hope he proves me wrong. Still, why is it the year the Warriors get the #3 pick, it is either Dunleavy or Gooden. The following year the #3 spot was Melo, life has a cruel sense of humor sometimes. Foyle gets to start now and it will be interesting to see if he can be productive. He works hard and hustles and is one of the good guys of the NBA. But he still will be the player who was picked over T-Mac. But he was not a bust either and I do like him. As much as Dampier will be missed, I think that Foyle was better for the team as he will give you his all and not just motivate in a contract year, like Dampier might be guilty of. Now watch Dampier avg 20-10 next season. And finally, there is a new coach in town. Montgomery was hired as the new head coach, I thought he was going to stay at Stanford. Larry Brown has been the exception to college coaches being able to succeed in the Pros. So history shows that he might regret leaving Stanford. However, Montgomery is a good coach and is very mild mannered and this is a good trait to have when dealing with players at this level. And he made a winner out of Stanford using less talent than many top teams and being the Warriors don't have the best talent this might be the coach that is needed. So if the Warriors can stay healthy, I do think that they will compete for a playoff spot that has been alluding them for many years.

 

 

Eastern Conference

 

Pistons- Can they repeat? Will McDyess make them that much better? Will Rasheed avoid the Technical fouls? This was a team I enjoyed watching during the playoffs. With no true Superstar, it was a breath of fresh air to see a team playing for the common goal and not the individual goal. They have a great defense that will be tough to beat. This is an unselfish group who don't care about their stats and instead about winning. The power of the Fro' is in effect. I love Ben Wallace and his fro and the fact he is more happy rebounding/blocking shots than scoring. And the thought of another freakish injury or the thought of seeing a 7-footer having troubles dunking is good for comedy value. Ahh poor Darko, who might prove me wrong, but so far has shown me that he still has a few years to go to become a decent player. He just looks like he has height, but not the athletic ability. Dumars gets a pass becuase he put a Championship team together, but I still think that this is the new "Bowi over Jordon" of a new generation. But, everything else is solid and makes the Pistons a favorite to win it again.

 

Pacers - O'Niell is one of the top big men in the East. I love watching him play. He will make the Pacers a contender. They have a tough defense and a good coach in Carlisle. Unfortunately, despite being one of the top defenders in the league, Ron Artest is still the biggest head case in the league. He is crazy and his technical foul in Game 6, sealed the Pacers fate. I thought that it was weak call to T up, but his reputation and past actions will cut him no slack. If he could learn to control his anger, he would be a much better player. So I think the Pacers will challenge the Pistons for the Central, or at least be the #3 seed, but I think need more offense to take the load off of O'Niell. Reggie Miller is in the twlight of his career and effectiveness. Pollard is a good back up center and l love watching him play, but he is no Miller. And O'Niell is more effective as PF. So the Pacers are a top Eastern Team and a favorite to make it the Eastern Finals, but they don't have enough to match the Pistons.

 

Heat - Shaq is motivated. He has a huge chip on his shoulder. He has lost about 30 pounds, which I though he needed to lose. With less weight, he gains quickness that has been weighed down. And despite losing weight, he still is 300+ pounds, which means he still will be push everyone else around on his way to avg 20 & 10-15. When he was pushing 350lbs, he still could dominate, but his mobility was hindered. Now that mobility is back, which means he will be the most dominate player in the league, again. Only now he is going to be really hard to even slow down. With all the best Centers playing in the West, Shaq has no one who can stop him in the East. I think that the Pistons might be the only team that might pose a problem for him. Wade, despite the bad Olympics, still has the tools to become a top PG. He likes to pass and get his teammates the ball first. This is just what Shaq was looking for. I don't think the Heat have enough to win it all and the East title might be pushing it, but a series win or two is not out of the question. Throw in Eddie Jones, and the Heat have three good players that will be hard to stop. Shaq I see being a preseason favorite for MVP and a favorite to have a great season. Fantasy owners take notice. I think that having Shaq makes any team a contender, free throws be damned and maybe he is motivated to work on them too. Look for X-mas day match as must see game. I see Shaq playing to prove the Lakers were dumb to listen to Kobe. And as a bonus their coach looks like Ron Jeremy, can't go wrong with the hedgehog leading things.

 

Cavs- Well actually I am more interested in the Star. LeBron did not disappoint. He lived up to the hype, so far. The only time I will agree that a HS player was ready for the Pros. The kid has talent, athleticism, leadership, and great attitude. Even sitting on the bench, when he should have gotten more playing time during the Olympics, LeBron was on his feet and being the biggest cheerleader. This sets him apart from the pouting Anthony. I love that despite the fact he can easily score, he still is a great passer and will dish the ball to get his teammates involved. This is the ability to make teammates better, which many of the great players did. I admit, I like this player. I still want to do a blood test, because no way this he is only 19 years old. He is mature physically and mentally for his age. Usually HS players are physically ready, but not mentally. This sets him apart from his peers. Another thing to like is his work ethic and his will to get better. The Cavs are a team I normally could care less about, but LeBron makes them watcheable. And losing Boozer hurts, but they did bring in Gooden, who will benefit from playing with LeBron. I mainly wanted to hype LeBron here, as he is my player to watch and is well on his way to being the Best. Definate playoff considerations, but they still might need more help, but this is a team that is worth watching.

 

So these are the things I think make the NBA worth watching. I have no idea who will win, so I am not bothering with any predictions, that will come before the playoffs. I am sure I missed many other things and teams, but these are the items that stand out to me. The NBA might not be what it once was, but there is still many things to like. And we are seeing many players who will be the Best in few years. LeBron, Carmelo, and Ming are three that come to mind who I think will be the Superstars of the NBA. And whenever my Warriors have a shot of making the playoffs which is said in a serious tone, well I definately have to watch.

[alfdogg 0]

Hawks' Crawford out for the season

[Ripper 0]

I have this theory....

 

 

 

God hates Chris Crawford.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

I'm telling ya'll... another 50 win season for the Grizzlies... and they will get out of the 1st round of the playoffs this time around.

[Ripper 0]

The Wizards are going to be improved this year. For those that doubt Gilbert Arenas as a PG, he's been working all summer on his PG play, going to MCI Center twice a day. He's only 22, he's going to be great.

 

Arenas/Hughes/Jamison/Kwame is alot of firepower in the East, they have a great chance of making the playoffs.

If this isn't Dejavu I don't know what is.

 

Gilbert Arenas...just move him to the 2 guard and get it over with. he is never going to be a point because he thinks he can score at will(and at times, he can) Hughes...contract year...he will def put up numbers, and Antwain is the man.

 

 

and THAAAAAAATS about it.

 

 

With Arenas at the point, there will be no team chemistry, and with no team chemistry, there will be no playoffs. They have good players like Hayes and Jefferies on the bench, but they need that one thing to become useful....the BALL and that ain't happening with GA at the point.

[alfdogg 0]

Did anyone happen to catch the Phil Jackson interview on the 6PM ET SC on Wednesday? I meant to set the timer to tape it while I was in bed, but I forgot.

[Shanghai Kid 0]

The Wizards are going to be improved this year.  For those that doubt Gilbert Arenas as a PG,  he's been working all summer on his PG play,  going to MCI Center twice a day.  He's only 22,  he's going to be great. 

 

Arenas/Hughes/Jamison/Kwame is alot of firepower in the East, they have a great chance of making the playoffs.

If this isn't Dejavu I don't know what is.

 

Gilbert Arenas...just move him to the 2 guard and get it over with. he is never going to be a point because he thinks he can score at will(and at times, he can) Hughes...contract year...he will def put up numbers, and Antwain is the man.

 

 

and THAAAAAAATS about it.

 

 

With Arenas at the point, there will be no team chemistry, and with no team chemistry, there will be no playoffs. They have good players like Hayes and Jefferies on the bench, but they need that one thing to become useful....the BALL and that ain't happening with GA at the point.

We'll see. I respect your opinion, but Arenas has already showed alot of maturity in pre-season. He's already said that Antawn Jamison is going to be the leading scorer and that he's going to committ himself to getting guys like Hayes easy shots. Actually, Arenas IS going to play minutes at the 2 this year with Blake at point, but the Princeton offense they run doesn't call for a prototypical PG, just someone who can bring the ball up the court. Steve Blake is a pure PG, he'll run the second unitWith Arenas at point in Golden State they went 19-11 against the East and competed for the playoffs in the West, they also had the 2nd best offense in the league so I think the team chemistry was clicking. This team is very similar to that except with better defense. Hughes has already said he's willing to sacrafice his individual game to win. And Jamison is preaching the idea of team chemistry. Those guys are all good friends also so I don't see any chemistry problems happening.

 

They keys are Kwame Brown and Brendan Haywood. Haywood has looked great in pre-season so far. He's cut up, blocking shots like crazy, and looking motivated. I think he can have a breakout year like Etan Thomas did last season. Kwame will be the #1 post option, he draws double teams, plays good defense, and can score in the low post. If he improves like he has the last two years than the Wizards can definetly be a playoff team. They have a top 8 East backcourt, and a top 8 East froncourt. Unless the coaching is 'that' bad they definetly should compete for the playoffs in a relatively weak East.

 

Then again, the season hasn't begun yet so predictions are just that, predictions. I'll keep you updated on the Wiz though.

[alfdogg 0]

Cuban Linx should love this one

[Exslade ZX 0]

the Trail Blazers shot a woeful 20 percent (9-of-44) over the final three quarters.

DAMN.

 

And if anyone saw the Heat/Hawks game last night...WOW. Why the hell couldn't Wade play like that in the Olympics? The guy was on fire for the better part of the night, and I'm liking this whole 'Superman & Flash' thing.

[Cuban Linx 0]

Thank goodness it's still just preseason, i guess. Looking at the box score someone should tell Stoudamire to stop throwing up bombs, just 2 assists and 3-14 from the field, 1-9 from three-point range isn't exactly what you want from your point guard. Why a 20+ PPG scorer like Abdur-Rahim only gets 5 shots while the guards have a 3-point shot missing contest is also beyond me, after the first few misses you'd think they'd get the hint.

 

Becoming the Bobcats first ever victim and continuing the Jailblazer tradition with Qyntel Woods being investigated for Dog Fighting of all things, quite the start to the season, though they have looked good in most other preseason games.

[therealworldschampion 0]

The Sixers have looked pretty decent this preseason, and I've seen some good things out of Andre Iguodala. Now if someone can just take out Big Puppy, they could actually challenge for the division.

[Dangerous A 0]

While the Orlando Magic are getting press for Grant Hill making his umpteenth return and the injection of Steve Francis and Cutino Mobley, Dwight Howard may end up getting his due. He has performed nicely in preseason and I was impressed that he looked to have added bulk this summer. He looks to be around 240 ibs or so. Howard may end up proving the Magic right for taking him No. 1 in the draft.

[alfdogg 0]

Big brawl between the Wizards and Bulls last night...Larry Hughes pushed Kirk Hinrich into his teammate who was going for a layup, then Haywood went after Hinrich, then ran like a bitch when Antonio came after him. So I imagine suspensions, and stuff. Also, Paul Pierce supposedly spat at the Cavs' bench during their game, I guess guys on the bench were running their mouths or something.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

That blow to the junk had my friends and I in stiches.

[razazteca 0]

Big brawl between the Wizards and Bulls last night...Larry Hughes pushed Kirk Hinrich into his teammate who was going for a layup, then Haywood went after Hinrich, then ran like a bitch when Antonio came after him. So I imagine suspensions, and stuff. Also, Paul Pierce supposedly spat at the Cavs' bench during their game, I guess guys on the bench were running their mouths or something.

Davis has good Ground N Pound technique and Eddy Curry looked like he punched Haywood in the balls while was down. On the neverending mourning ESPN Sportcenter I watched Paul Pierce give Lebron James a lariat.

[Guest Vitamin X]

It looks more and more like the NBA's maturity level is declining, not surprising.

[razazteca 0]

It looks more and more like the NBA's maturity level is declining, not surprising.

Its preseason games there are suppose to be fights . Now if this continues into the regular season then it would be something to worry about.

[The Czech Republic 0]

It looks more and more like the NBA's maturity level is declining, not surprising.

With no NHL concurrent with the NBA season, ya gotta compensate

[alfdogg 0]

Jeff Foster will be having arthroscopic hip surgery and will be out 4-6 weeks. Pollard will be starting in his place...I don't like the looks of this...

[nogoodnick 0]

It looks more and more like the NBA's maturity level is declining, not surprising.

Well the league keeps getting younger.

[alfdogg 0]

Good fuckin' grief. Now Anthony Johnson has a broken hand which will keep him out at least six weeks. This cannot be happening.

[Damaramu 0]

Well the Lakers and Wizards are playing a preseason game tonight in the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. I want to go so bad but I don't have the money. I want to jeer Kobe in person dammit!

[Guest Vitamin X]

I hope the Lakers blow out the Wizards just to spite you, Dama.

[syxx2001 0]

I think Kobe can do something if Devean George or Kareem Rush gets better. Michael won with Pippen. Kobe can win with George, Luke can be their Toni Kukoc, Rush is Ron Harper, I dont know if they have a 3 point shooter though.

 

Peirce told his bench to sit down or something. I saw it on SC, he was yelling at some bench but I didnt see who.

[razazteca 0]

I think the 2 players that were in the trade for Shaq are better than the whole Laker bench, Odem and Butler will do their part to make the team .500. But there is the risk that Lamar Odem will go back to being the bitch that he was when he was in LA last time as a Clipper.