FewFAC
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by FewFAC on Oct 17, 2007 11:40:03 GMT -5
I'm starting this thread to avoid as much actual watching of NBA games as is absolutely necessary until the NBA finals in June. By then, baseball will be underway again.
Right now, much as I'd love to see anyone but the Spurs win again, I think they'll cruise through the West again barring significant injury, though I think they'll end up getting pushed for the best record again by Phoenix.
The Celtics should sweep through the mess known as the East, with this being the year that Detroit finally implodes. LeBron & Co. push the C's to game 6 before succumbing.
C's over the Spurs in 5 in the finals. I can't think of many coaches who deserve some success like Doc Rivers after the nonsense he has had to endure. Of course, things could be worse, he could be in NYC.
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vcjack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by vcjack on Oct 17, 2007 11:42:25 GMT -5
People are buying wayyyy to much into the KG hype, Boston will be better but there are several other franchises in the east that are getting better as well (Orlando and Chicago are the two teams I think will have good years)
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hoyarooter
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
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Post by hoyarooter on Oct 17, 2007 12:02:30 GMT -5
If the Celtics win the title you can be the first to brag, but I think more likely that prediction will look ridiculous. Celtics might win the East, but in the West they would rank around sixth.
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hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by hifigator on Oct 17, 2007 12:25:02 GMT -5
In news that I am sure you will all find exciting, Al Horford is, as I predicted, a player already. I am not sure how many games the Hawks have played, but Horford already has a double double, and twice finished wiht 10 and 9 to just miss a couple more double doubles. Granted it's still very early and in the preseason no less, but the kid is a player. Brewer, Richard and Green haven't yet really accomplished much as paid players. The verdict is still very much out on Joakim, but I think he will be fine.
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RDF
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Post by RDF on Oct 17, 2007 12:32:22 GMT -5
Celtic Hype is reminding me of those bad Rocket Teams with Barkely who jumped on at the end. That team isn't going to win. Heck Ray Allen already got upset with KG over his cursing at practice (check out REALGM.com or St.Paul Pioneer Press) and East Coast fans are not going to give Garnett the "pass" he received in being a gutless wonder come Playoff time. Ray Allen is going to get injured--Paul Pierce will be Celts best post player and nobody can defend the post on that team.
I'm pulling for Doc Rivers to do well--but this team isn't going to win the East--let alone a World Title.
If I'm Houston--I'm on the phone with Lakers and offering McGrady for Kobe right now--Kobe Bryant with Yao Ming is a championship threat--McGrady with Yao--another painful faillure in postseason.
Denver is going to be interesting to watch--I think Karl should dump JR Smith on some team--he's hot garbage and doesn't know how to play the game at a championship level. Ignorance trumps talent--and they don't need him. Kenyon Martin's return is key-with him, Nene, and Camby-they have a deeper frontline and more rebounding. AI will either prove he's on a mission this year or prove he's deteriorated to a level below where he spent majority of his career. I think Nuggest have to come out quick and establish a great record/get a top 4 seed to do damage-but it's attainable.
Mike D'Antoni asking Grant Hill to shoot 3's is mind boggling. Phoenix signing Grant Hill puzzles me. I think Phoenix era is over. They are starting to think any player they get will "Fit" and just think their window is closing--it better happen this year or it's time to blow up that roster.
One of the humorous events as a Wolves hater was watching how Amare Stoudemire abused KG so badly that Garnett would often fake an injury heading into the matchups so he had an excuse--well prepare for that as Dwight Howard abuses KG physically and dunks on him repeatedly. Nothing like watching the overrated Garnett get punked due to lack of strength and in retaliation--shoot fadeaways and jumpers. I'm telling you-Boston fans will wonder why Garnett is 7'1 2G when they have Allen and Pierce--but Pierce will have to be the post player because KG isn't capable of playing down low when you need it and against the big time teams.
I like Bulls, Detroit, Heat, Nets, Cavs, and Wizards over Celtics. If Celts made this move 3-4 years ago--that is a different story. Making it now? Hype over substance.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2007 12:40:25 GMT -5
Brewer, Richard and Green haven't yet really accomplished much as paid players. They won 2 national championships as paid players
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azarin
Century (over 100 posts)
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Post by azarin on Oct 17, 2007 13:25:24 GMT -5
As someone from Orlando, I can almost guarantee you that the Magic will be terrible. It's just one of those things that's more or less inevitable. Curse of the Shaquino and all...
We overpayed horrendously for Rashard Lewis, and we're going to miss Grant Hill. Dwight Howard's still a beast, but he can't win a championship on his own.
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hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by hifigator on Oct 17, 2007 13:32:30 GMT -5
Cam, I opened that door nice and wide and just knew someone would make that comment. Thanks for not letting me down.
zanderman, I agree with your assessment of the Magic overall. I too would like them to be more competitive but just don't see it. But as for missing Grant Hill, I think that is just plain silly. Unless you are talking about his bench presence or his leadership in the locker room, he hasn't done much in the 6 or so years he was with Orlando. Last year was bit of a step in the right direction, but he has basically been an unfortunate bust from day one.
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RDF
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by RDF on Oct 17, 2007 13:52:08 GMT -5
BTW--Jeff and Sonics play an exhibition on TNT tomorrow night. Lakers-Sonics tomorrow at 10pm est on TNT
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Post by HeartAttackHoya on Oct 17, 2007 14:17:48 GMT -5
rashard lewis contract was a joke...and I consider myself a big Rashard fan (used to play pick up with him in high school)...
regardless think Orlando will be top 5 team in the East. Howard looks like unreal, Rashard is a borderline all-star, Jammer is solid at the point...Reddick-no comment
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hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by hifigator on Oct 17, 2007 14:34:11 GMT -5
Doesn't Orlando also have another good young guard? His name escapes me, but I want to say he was a rookie last season and began to come on later in the year.
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hoyarooter
Blue & Gray (over 10,000 posts)
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Post by hoyarooter on Oct 17, 2007 19:54:43 GMT -5
"If I'm Houston--I'm on the phone with Lakers and offering McGrady for Kobe right now--Kobe Bryant with Yao Ming is a championship threat--McGrady with Yao--another painful faillure in postseason. "
Hmm, paging Mitch Kupchak; Mitch, where are you?
RDF, I share your view on McGrady's performances when the chips are down, but this would almost certainly be the closest the Lakers would come to getting fair value for Kobe. I'd certainly rather have McGrady than one good player and three loads of garbage from the Bulls or Knicks.
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azarin
Century (over 100 posts)
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Post by azarin on Oct 17, 2007 20:07:46 GMT -5
Ehh, I see what you mean Hifi. Grant Hill and his ankle have been nothing but misery since he arrived in Orlando. That said, he's been a class act the whole time (which is what disappointed me so much about him jumping ship, even though I don't entirely blame him for wanting a championship before he retires), and as you alluded to, last season he was doing pretty well. It's easy to forget with all his injuries that he was Orlando's second best scorer last season...
But seriously, beyond Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis, I think there's a significant talent vacuum in Orlando. Sure, Turkoglu and some of the other guys are looking ok... I hate to say it, but if JJ plays at all like he did this last preseason game, he might actually not be another entry in a long line of Duke NBA flops.
But when you look at Boston, or hell, Miami, I just think we're not there yet. We might be top 5 in the East, but that's a weak East thing, not a good Orlando thing. I don't see this is as the year where we finally make it out of the first round
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FewFAC
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by FewFAC on Oct 18, 2007 11:41:17 GMT -5
If the Celtics win the title you can be the first to brag, but I think more likely that prediction will look ridiculous. Celtics might win the East, but in the West they would rank around sixth. No doubt. Probably seventh or eighth out West. They'll probably get on a roll around March or April though, and they'll execute well enough on offense to present some nightmarish matchup issues with the West's best in best-of.
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FewFAC
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by FewFAC on Oct 18, 2007 11:47:23 GMT -5
Doesn't Orlando also have another good young guard? His name escapes me, but I want to say he was a rookie last season and began to come on later in the year. Orlando has Jameer Nelson, who has developed into a pretty serviceable NBA guard with the potential to develop into a pretty good NBA PG. For potential I think Deron Williams of the Jazz, and I like Nelson a lot more than I like Chris Paul, for example. Orlando has a decent shot at being a good team in the East, especially now that they got rid of Brian Hill.
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hifigator
Platinum Hoya (over 5000 posts)
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Post by hifigator on Oct 18, 2007 12:22:57 GMT -5
Doesn't Orlando also have another good young guard? His name escapes me, but I want to say he was a rookie last season and began to come on later in the year. Orlando has Jameer Nelson, who has developed into a pretty serviceable NBA guard with the potential to develop into a pretty good NBA PG. For potential I think Deron Williams of the Jazz, and I like Nelson a lot more than I like Chris Paul, for example. Orlando has a decent shot at being a good team in the East, especially now that they got rid of Brian Hill. Thank you sir. That is exactly the guy I was talking about.
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FewFAC
Golden Hoya (over 1000 posts)
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Post by FewFAC on Oct 26, 2007 12:42:24 GMT -5
Celtic Hype is reminding me of those bad Rocket Teams with Barkely who jumped on at the end. That team isn't going to win. Heck Ray Allen already got upset with KG over his cursing at practice (check out REALGM.com or St.Paul Pioneer Press) and East Coast fans are not going to give Garnett the "pass" he received in being a gutless wonder come Playoff time. Ray Allen is going to get injured--Paul Pierce will be Celts best post player and nobody can defend the post on that team. I'm pulling for Doc Rivers to do well--but this team isn't going to win the East--let alone a World Title. If I'm Houston--I'm on the phone with Lakers and offering McGrady for Kobe right now--Kobe Bryant with Yao Ming is a championship threat--McGrady with Yao--another painful faillure in postseason. Denver is going to be interesting to watch--I think Karl should dump JR Smith on some team--he's hot garbage and doesn't know how to play the game at a championship level. Ignorance trumps talent--and they don't need him. Kenyon Martin's return is key-with him, Nene, and Camby-they have a deeper frontline and more rebounding. AI will either prove he's on a mission this year or prove he's deteriorated to a level below where he spent majority of his career. I think Nuggest have to come out quick and establish a great record/get a top 4 seed to do damage-but it's attainable. Mike D'Antoni asking Grant Hill to shoot 3's is mind boggling. Phoenix signing Grant Hill puzzles me. I think Phoenix era is over. They are starting to think any player they get will "Fit" and just think their window is closing--it better happen this year or it's time to blow up that roster. One of the humorous events as a Wolves hater was watching how Amare Stoudemire abused KG so badly that Garnett would often fake an injury heading into the matchups so he had an excuse--well prepare for that as Dwight Howard abuses KG physically and dunks on him repeatedly. Nothing like watching the overrated Garnett get punked due to lack of strength and in retaliation--shoot fadeaways and jumpers. I'm telling you-Boston fans will wonder why Garnett is 7'1 2G when they have Allen and Pierce--but Pierce will have to be the post player because KG isn't capable of playing down low when you need it and against the big time teams. I like Bulls, Detroit, Heat, Nets, Cavs, and Wizards over Celtics. If Celts made this move 3-4 years ago--that is a different story. Making it now? Hype over substance. Boston will have all sorts of defensive issues this year. I actually have Paul Pierce getting injured for the C's, which will probably be the most crippling potential loss for the team of any player they have, including KG. But they will be able to outscore so many teams in the East. And the matchups down the stretch in the playoffs against teams in the East will favor Boston, as long as they're healthy. With the lack of a true power force in the low post in the East, outside of maybe Dwight Howard who has so many fewer pieces to work with of the caliber of Boston's pieces, Boston should be able to cruise through to the NBA Finals. Having finally gotten my first look at Denver and Phoenix, I like Phoenix a lot. If Grant Hill can give them 50 games and be healthy for the playoffs, the Suns can be a real force. Again, though, if they were to lose Steve Nash, they have no one who can pick up the pieces, and the starters will play a lot of minutes. I expect them to be very tired by the time the playoffs roll around. Denver is intriguing because AI, 'melo, Kmart and Nene all healthy should be very imposing. Minus Steve Blake and I'm a fan. Plus George Karl, and I doubt this very talented team will figure it all out. Should be exciting to watch and pure entertainment, especially with the no complaining rule. One of the things I like least about a lot of the "premier" teams is something I like tremendously about the Bulls. Tons of depth. Deep at every position. Players rotate off the bench like hockey lines without significant dropoffs in talent or production. Unfortunately, Skiles is gonna be Doug Collins revisited. This team is never gonna reach its true potential with the Pax-Skiles combo at the helm. They're fantastic for young players, but have no clue regarding managing experience.
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vcjack
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Post by vcjack on Oct 26, 2007 17:59:35 GMT -5
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FewFAC
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Post by FewFAC on Oct 29, 2007 14:38:10 GMT -5
Free Darko is awesome, and yes I find those NBA promos woefully annoying, though not so much as the ESPN promos on the bus or any TNT promo. Once again I am shuddering at the thought of Craig Sager ensembles and anything that comes out of the mouths of Kenny or Charles in the studio aftershow.
Kobe is as good as gone. I'm watching for Paxson to pull the trigger sometime in the next two months, so in addition to a miserable record of managing veteran players, the Bulls can also import cancer. Kobe on the Bulls is gonna be a colossal failure, and yet the Bulls are gonna give up Deng, Gordon, and probably Tyrus Thomas and a first-rounder to clear enough cap space to get Kobe. It's like a moth to the flame, they just don't know when to stop and what isn't good for them because they're addicted to failure and hyping the next MJ. The Lakers are gonna fleece the Bulls and go on to win two or three championships over the next decade with Bynum's continued development and the inevitable breakdown of Duncan in the West. The Bulls window is closed.
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vcjack
Diamond Hoya (over 2500 posts)
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Post by vcjack on Oct 29, 2007 14:46:26 GMT -5
Free Darko is awesome, and yes I find those NBA promos woefully annoying, though not so much as the ESPN promos on the bus or any TNT promo. Once again I am shuddering at the thought of Craig Sager ensembles and anything that comes out of the mouths of Kenny or Charles in the studio aftershow. Kobe is as good as gone. I'm watching for Paxson to pull the trigger sometime in the next two months, so in addition to a miserable record of managing veteran players, the Bulls can also import cancer. Kobe on the Bulls is gonna be a colossal failure, and yet the Bulls are gonna give up Deng, Gordon, and probably Tyrus Thomas and a first-rounder to clear enough cap space to get Kobe. It's like a moth to the flame, they just don't know when to stop and what isn't good for them because they're addicted to failure and hyping the next MJ. The Lakers are gonna fleece the Bulls and go on to win two or three championships over the next decade with Bynum's continued development and the inevitable breakdown of Duncan in the West. The Bulls window is closed. What it looks like that Kobe's holding out to force the Lakers to make a trade that does not include Deng I root for any trade because not only would it bring the best player currently playing to the second city, but it has the potential to get rid of Noah!
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