This thread is for the bold and the brave to make a few predictions about their favorite NBA team and players. Get your predictions in before the season starts next Tuesday!
Here's my predictions for the Suns:
-Steve Nash will have a season worthy of another MVP but won't win back to back MVPs.
-The Suns will win 50 games even without Amare and be the #5 or #6 seed in the West.
-James Jones will win the Most Improved Player of the year award and play at an All-Star level.
NBA 2006 Season Predictions
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noel
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I predict:
-Kwame Brown will play better than he ever has under Phil Jackson
-The Lakers still won't make the playoffs.
-Artest will end up traded mid or end of the year for being a problem again in some capacity.
-Miami will finish third in their conference and not make the finals.
-The Pistons won't make their conference finals.
-Lebron James will have an amazing year and (lol this is where I'm just talking to hear myself talk) win the MVP.
-Kwame Brown will play better than he ever has under Phil Jackson
-The Lakers still won't make the playoffs.
-Artest will end up traded mid or end of the year for being a problem again in some capacity.
-Miami will finish third in their conference and not make the finals.
-The Pistons won't make their conference finals.
-Lebron James will have an amazing year and (lol this is where I'm just talking to hear myself talk) win the MVP.
Oh, my God; I care so little, I almost passed out.
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Stalker Vacio
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Sonics losing to the Spurs in the Semi-Finals!
"Patience is a foolish virtue. It never gets you what you want when you want it. " -King Zad
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StupidMcDupid
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My predictions:
-Spurs win 60+ games this year.
-Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen get all defensive team#1.
-Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili will make the All Star game.
-Greg Popovich wins Coach of the year.
-Spurs rank #1 in Defense, again.
-Spurs rank #1 in 3-point shooting this year.
-Last, but not least...Spurs win back to back NBA Championships.
note: this is what I'm predicting if Tim Duncan can stay healthy.
-Spurs win 60+ games this year.
-Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen get all defensive team#1.
-Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili will make the All Star game.
-Greg Popovich wins Coach of the year.
-Spurs rank #1 in Defense, again.
-Spurs rank #1 in 3-point shooting this year.
-Last, but not least...Spurs win back to back NBA Championships.
note: this is what I'm predicting if Tim Duncan can stay healthy.
I didnt have no dates at homecoming,thats cause i had your girl naked in my home cumming.
She was looking at it like, "that isn''t gonna fit", u want a smaller size go and rent a plastic dick.
She was looking at it like, "that isn''t gonna fit", u want a smaller size go and rent a plastic dick.
Got any predictions that don't involve the Suns?
Predicted order of finish along with some comments:
EAST:
1: Indiana Pacers. They're very talented. Ron Artest is god damn crazy, but as far as playing skill alone goes, he's incredible. He's not a real fancy offensive player, but he definitely has the skill to be a ppg guy, although it's possible he won't get the touches to put up those numbers on the Pacers. I also consider him to be the best defensive player in the NBA, even above guys like Bruce Bowen and Ben Wallace. Ron Artest can do an excellent job guarding any position. The only players he has trouble with are really speedy guards (like Allen Iverson) and really monstrous centers (like Shaq). Jermaine O'Neal is a beast, Stephen Jackson has a lot of talent, Danny Granger was a great draft pick, and most of their other players are average to above average considering their roles on the team. I expect Indiana to win a lot of games, similar to the situation two years ago when they were the top seed and fell to Detroit in the Eastern finals.
2. Miami Heat. I would probably pick the Heat above the Pacers in a seven game series, but this is predicted order of finish. Shaq will have to play limited minutes during the regular season, Dwayne Wade can't be superman every night, and there will be times when Antoine Walker and Jason Williams combine to miss 12 threes in a game. Watch out in the playoffs, though.
3. Detroit Pistons. They won't win an assload of games-- they'll play almost every game close and win 70% of them, whether it's the playoffs or the regular season. That's why they're so successful.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers. They'll start off the season slow, as all their pieces gel, and they still have some deficiencies. But they have some really good players-- everyone knows that LeBron is the real thing, and Larry Hughes was the best player on the Wizards last year. LeBron, Hughes and Big Z form a really impressive core, and Donyell Marshall, Drew Gooden, and even Anderson Varejao bring a lot to the table. Damon Jones can hit threes, at least, and he's a spunky guy.
5. New Jersey Nets. Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson form a group that can roll over a lot of teams. Do they form a group that can win a playoff series against a healthy team with a solid big man? Uh, no.
6. Washington Wizards. The loss of Hughes is big, but this is a solid, well-rounded team with a decent-to-good player at every position and some reasonable depth. They'll spend the whole year winning games that they should win.
7. Chicago Bulls. Losing Eddy Curry is not as big a deal as people say-- he's overrated. An out of shape center that can't play defense, rebound, or block shots is not a center. If I were the Bulls, I would have taken Chandler and let Curry go, heart problem or not. Regardless, the Bulls don't have a whole lot of offense and will miss the buckets that Curry gave them until Ben Gordon learns to take over the whole game and Hinrich and Chandler step their games up a notch.
8. Philadelphia 76ers. Well, I'm a Philadelphia fan, so I'm sticking them in the playoffs. Realistically, Iverson will have to come close to matching his performance last year, Igoudala will have to expand his offensive game, Samuel Dalembert will need to play with some consistency, and Chris Webber will need to find a useful role in the offense. Losing Willie Green was a bigger blow than it seems for a team with horrible cap management and no depth.
9. Boston Celtics. One year away: Just wait til Delonte West, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson and Tony Allen mature. And Tony Allen stops getting arrested.
10. New York Knicks. Larry Brown will help the team, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the playoffs, but good lord will there be some personality clashes. Larry Brown coaching Stephon Marbury, an undisciplined shoot-first point guard without the talent or desire of Iverson? At least Brown had Eric Snow to start at point when he had Iverson. Larry Brown coaching Jerome James, a lazy trash center who swindled an enormous contract out of Isaiah Thomas based on 1 decent (not good, decent) playoff series? In fact, is there a single Larry Brown type of player in the Knicks projected starting 5 of Marbury, Crawford, Richardson, Curry and James? I say no. Just wait til midseason when the Knicks are starting Eric Snow, Trevor Ariza and Matt Barnes.
11. Milwaukee Bucks. Overrated. Andrew Bogut won't contribute a whole lot right away. Bobby Simmons, while he is legitimately good, won't be as effective. TJ Ford will experience growing pains. Michael Redd is an excellent complementary player with a franchise player contract. Maybe next year.
12. Toronto Raptors. Chris Bosh is a man. Villanueva will contribute more than people think. And I like Mike James.
13. Orlando Magic. They have Dwight Howard?
14. Atlanta Hawks. The Joe Johnson trade was terrible, not only because of all the ownership bullshit, but also because they drastically overpaid for him.
15. Charlotte Bobcats.
WEST:
1. San Antonio Spurs. I don't know if the acquisitions of Van Exel and Finley and Oberto will help them much in the playoffs (after all, you can only play so many guys per game) but they will help them an awful lot in the regular season, when you're dealing with injuries and fatigue. They ought to win a lot of games.
2. Denver. Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin headline what ought to be the toughest interior defense in the NBA. If they get something out of Nene, if they somehow balance out their talented but mismatched guards into a solid rotation, and if Carmelo makes the offensive leap he's capable of making, they ought to win the championship.
3. Houston. Tracy McGrady is really good, and now he's confident as well. Yao Ming had a summer of rest. The two of them have had a year to gel. Stromile Swift should help. If Rafer Alston can replace the production of Mike James and Bob Sura, this team should have a monster year-- but that's a big if.
4. Dallas. I think that this incarnation of the Mavericks is better than the Dirk-Nash-Finley teams, provided they can get consistent production out of Erick Dampier. Josh Howard, Marquise Daniels and Devin Harris are all going to be excellent NBA players, but the latter two might still be a year or two off.
5. Phoenix. It all depends on Amare. It sucks to build a team as good as Phoenix was last year, and then see your entire future hinge on the success of a complex knee operation.
6. Sacramento. Just like always: Win in the season, lose in the postseason.
7. Golden State. They actually have a pretty good roster. If they're healthy. And we'll see about Mike Montgomery.
8. Seattle. Still good; just not as good.
9. Los Angeles Lakers. Did someone say that Lamar Odom is playing point guard this year?
10. Memphis Grizzlies. Good coach and smart players. Unfortunately, not "good coach and good players."
11. Minnesota Timberwolves. If Kevin Garnett is on your team, you can't lose tooo many games... right?
12. Utah Jazz. Andrei Kirilenko and Jerry Sloan should keep this team out of the 'total joke' category.
13. Portland Trail Blazers. Thus begins the 'total joke category.'
14. New Orleans Hornets.
15. Los Angeles Clippers. They'll probably win more games than the Hornets, but let's face it-- this team is dead last every year until they make the playoffs or get a new owner.
Interesting note: The East is as good as the West this year.
Predicted order of finish along with some comments:
EAST:
1: Indiana Pacers. They're very talented. Ron Artest is god damn crazy, but as far as playing skill alone goes, he's incredible. He's not a real fancy offensive player, but he definitely has the skill to be a ppg guy, although it's possible he won't get the touches to put up those numbers on the Pacers. I also consider him to be the best defensive player in the NBA, even above guys like Bruce Bowen and Ben Wallace. Ron Artest can do an excellent job guarding any position. The only players he has trouble with are really speedy guards (like Allen Iverson) and really monstrous centers (like Shaq). Jermaine O'Neal is a beast, Stephen Jackson has a lot of talent, Danny Granger was a great draft pick, and most of their other players are average to above average considering their roles on the team. I expect Indiana to win a lot of games, similar to the situation two years ago when they were the top seed and fell to Detroit in the Eastern finals.
2. Miami Heat. I would probably pick the Heat above the Pacers in a seven game series, but this is predicted order of finish. Shaq will have to play limited minutes during the regular season, Dwayne Wade can't be superman every night, and there will be times when Antoine Walker and Jason Williams combine to miss 12 threes in a game. Watch out in the playoffs, though.
3. Detroit Pistons. They won't win an assload of games-- they'll play almost every game close and win 70% of them, whether it's the playoffs or the regular season. That's why they're so successful.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers. They'll start off the season slow, as all their pieces gel, and they still have some deficiencies. But they have some really good players-- everyone knows that LeBron is the real thing, and Larry Hughes was the best player on the Wizards last year. LeBron, Hughes and Big Z form a really impressive core, and Donyell Marshall, Drew Gooden, and even Anderson Varejao bring a lot to the table. Damon Jones can hit threes, at least, and he's a spunky guy.
5. New Jersey Nets. Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson form a group that can roll over a lot of teams. Do they form a group that can win a playoff series against a healthy team with a solid big man? Uh, no.
6. Washington Wizards. The loss of Hughes is big, but this is a solid, well-rounded team with a decent-to-good player at every position and some reasonable depth. They'll spend the whole year winning games that they should win.
7. Chicago Bulls. Losing Eddy Curry is not as big a deal as people say-- he's overrated. An out of shape center that can't play defense, rebound, or block shots is not a center. If I were the Bulls, I would have taken Chandler and let Curry go, heart problem or not. Regardless, the Bulls don't have a whole lot of offense and will miss the buckets that Curry gave them until Ben Gordon learns to take over the whole game and Hinrich and Chandler step their games up a notch.
8. Philadelphia 76ers. Well, I'm a Philadelphia fan, so I'm sticking them in the playoffs. Realistically, Iverson will have to come close to matching his performance last year, Igoudala will have to expand his offensive game, Samuel Dalembert will need to play with some consistency, and Chris Webber will need to find a useful role in the offense. Losing Willie Green was a bigger blow than it seems for a team with horrible cap management and no depth.
9. Boston Celtics. One year away: Just wait til Delonte West, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson and Tony Allen mature. And Tony Allen stops getting arrested.
10. New York Knicks. Larry Brown will help the team, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the playoffs, but good lord will there be some personality clashes. Larry Brown coaching Stephon Marbury, an undisciplined shoot-first point guard without the talent or desire of Iverson? At least Brown had Eric Snow to start at point when he had Iverson. Larry Brown coaching Jerome James, a lazy trash center who swindled an enormous contract out of Isaiah Thomas based on 1 decent (not good, decent) playoff series? In fact, is there a single Larry Brown type of player in the Knicks projected starting 5 of Marbury, Crawford, Richardson, Curry and James? I say no. Just wait til midseason when the Knicks are starting Eric Snow, Trevor Ariza and Matt Barnes.
11. Milwaukee Bucks. Overrated. Andrew Bogut won't contribute a whole lot right away. Bobby Simmons, while he is legitimately good, won't be as effective. TJ Ford will experience growing pains. Michael Redd is an excellent complementary player with a franchise player contract. Maybe next year.
12. Toronto Raptors. Chris Bosh is a man. Villanueva will contribute more than people think. And I like Mike James.
13. Orlando Magic. They have Dwight Howard?
14. Atlanta Hawks. The Joe Johnson trade was terrible, not only because of all the ownership bullshit, but also because they drastically overpaid for him.
15. Charlotte Bobcats.
WEST:
1. San Antonio Spurs. I don't know if the acquisitions of Van Exel and Finley and Oberto will help them much in the playoffs (after all, you can only play so many guys per game) but they will help them an awful lot in the regular season, when you're dealing with injuries and fatigue. They ought to win a lot of games.
2. Denver. Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin headline what ought to be the toughest interior defense in the NBA. If they get something out of Nene, if they somehow balance out their talented but mismatched guards into a solid rotation, and if Carmelo makes the offensive leap he's capable of making, they ought to win the championship.
3. Houston. Tracy McGrady is really good, and now he's confident as well. Yao Ming had a summer of rest. The two of them have had a year to gel. Stromile Swift should help. If Rafer Alston can replace the production of Mike James and Bob Sura, this team should have a monster year-- but that's a big if.
4. Dallas. I think that this incarnation of the Mavericks is better than the Dirk-Nash-Finley teams, provided they can get consistent production out of Erick Dampier. Josh Howard, Marquise Daniels and Devin Harris are all going to be excellent NBA players, but the latter two might still be a year or two off.
5. Phoenix. It all depends on Amare. It sucks to build a team as good as Phoenix was last year, and then see your entire future hinge on the success of a complex knee operation.
6. Sacramento. Just like always: Win in the season, lose in the postseason.
7. Golden State. They actually have a pretty good roster. If they're healthy. And we'll see about Mike Montgomery.
8. Seattle. Still good; just not as good.
9. Los Angeles Lakers. Did someone say that Lamar Odom is playing point guard this year?
10. Memphis Grizzlies. Good coach and smart players. Unfortunately, not "good coach and good players."
11. Minnesota Timberwolves. If Kevin Garnett is on your team, you can't lose tooo many games... right?
12. Utah Jazz. Andrei Kirilenko and Jerry Sloan should keep this team out of the 'total joke' category.
13. Portland Trail Blazers. Thus begins the 'total joke category.'
14. New Orleans Hornets.
15. Los Angeles Clippers. They'll probably win more games than the Hornets, but let's face it-- this team is dead last every year until they make the playoffs or get a new owner.
Interesting note: The East is as good as the West this year.
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Pherr the Dorf
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Bubba Grizz
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Warriors will make the playoffs for the first time in, I think, eleven seasons! Baron Davis helps push them over the hump. WHen he came over last year, the Warriors started playing some really good up-tempo basketball, and started to win a lot of games. They still lack a good presence in the post though offensively, but so does pretty much every team except Miami, San Antonio, and the Suns. They've got no post offense really. Troy Murphy is a solid player and a rebounding madman, but he isn't a dynamic scorer.
My predictions:
The refs will do as shitty a job as ever, and will cause me to build up anger to the point that I cease viewing regular season games after the second week of play. I will then resume watching once the playoffs start, at which point I will cheer for Detroit and their near-flawless defense.
The refs will do as shitty a job as ever, and will cause me to build up anger to the point that I cease viewing regular season games after the second week of play. I will then resume watching once the playoffs start, at which point I will cheer for Detroit and their near-flawless defense.
I'd hate Hillary just as much if it was a woman. ┌┘ Winnow
you pretentious fuckwits ┌┘ Nick
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thoroughly groped┌┘ Xyun
you pretentious fuckwits ┌┘ Nick
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Proctus
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I don't think you should bet on the Warriors making the Playoffs this year. I also wouldn't bet on them playing as well as the Suns did last year in terms of pumping up the tempo of the game.
I don't really care about the Eastern Conference, same top 3 teams I'm sure.
Western Conference
1. Spurs (it's what everyone chooses)
2. Denver (If their preseason is a sign of things to come...)
3. Houston (This hinges on Tracy McGrady not being injury prone)
4. Phoenix (Have you seen the way this squad plays together yet? Don't be surprised that this team wins 50+ and go to the WCF if Amare comes back. Without Amare, 2nd round exit I'd guess).
5. Dallas (You can't really count Dallas out as long as they got Dirk)
6. Lakers (I think they will surprise us this year)
7. Sacramento (another first round exit)
8. Seattle (Let's not count them out yet)
Obvious reasons for choosing San Antonio. They got the same team as last year sept now their bench got a free upgrade.
Houston could be good, but hearing lately about McGrady's injuries, I'd be concerned if I was a Rocket Fan. Will Yao Ming improve yet again?
Denver seems to be doing pretty good. I haven't watched many of their games, so I'll just have to go by their record in Preseason, 7-1.
Phoenix seems to have filled the voids left by Joe and Quentin. Believe it or not, James Jones is filling Quentins shoes minus his streaky shooting (The bad streaks). Raja Bell was a great addition. His defense will make him worth the loss of Joe Johnson, not to mention he is also a decent 3 point shooter. Boris Diaw was a surprise for the suns in Preseason. His versatility can make him appear as a great all around basketball player. By all around, I mean in the number of positions he'll be able to play. Also, his free throw shooting is much improved over his Summer league. Eddie House has had a few good games. Overall, the suns got a major upgrade on their Bench. They are 8-9 Deep now in their rotation.
Dallas has most of their players back and a few additions. I think if Jerry makes starter this can be a deadly starting 5. However, not so sure about their bench.
Lakers, can't really count a team lead by Phil Jackson out. Kobe will have to be a better leader.
Sacramento. I like pissing off Queens fans. Well, at least the ones who go to the ESPN boards and bash on the suns for no apparent reason.
Seattle. Lost a few key pieces off their bench and got a new coach. We won't see a repeat of last season for sure.
I don't really care about the Eastern Conference, same top 3 teams I'm sure.
Western Conference
1. Spurs (it's what everyone chooses)
2. Denver (If their preseason is a sign of things to come...)
3. Houston (This hinges on Tracy McGrady not being injury prone)
4. Phoenix (Have you seen the way this squad plays together yet? Don't be surprised that this team wins 50+ and go to the WCF if Amare comes back. Without Amare, 2nd round exit I'd guess).
5. Dallas (You can't really count Dallas out as long as they got Dirk)
6. Lakers (I think they will surprise us this year)
7. Sacramento (another first round exit)
8. Seattle (Let's not count them out yet)
Obvious reasons for choosing San Antonio. They got the same team as last year sept now their bench got a free upgrade.
Houston could be good, but hearing lately about McGrady's injuries, I'd be concerned if I was a Rocket Fan. Will Yao Ming improve yet again?
Denver seems to be doing pretty good. I haven't watched many of their games, so I'll just have to go by their record in Preseason, 7-1.
Phoenix seems to have filled the voids left by Joe and Quentin. Believe it or not, James Jones is filling Quentins shoes minus his streaky shooting (The bad streaks). Raja Bell was a great addition. His defense will make him worth the loss of Joe Johnson, not to mention he is also a decent 3 point shooter. Boris Diaw was a surprise for the suns in Preseason. His versatility can make him appear as a great all around basketball player. By all around, I mean in the number of positions he'll be able to play. Also, his free throw shooting is much improved over his Summer league. Eddie House has had a few good games. Overall, the suns got a major upgrade on their Bench. They are 8-9 Deep now in their rotation.
Dallas has most of their players back and a few additions. I think if Jerry makes starter this can be a deadly starting 5. However, not so sure about their bench.
Lakers, can't really count a team lead by Phil Jackson out. Kobe will have to be a better leader.
Sacramento. I like pissing off Queens fans. Well, at least the ones who go to the ESPN boards and bash on the suns for no apparent reason.
Seattle. Lost a few key pieces off their bench and got a new coach. We won't see a repeat of last season for sure.
Proctus Armonius
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*~*stragi*~*
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StupidMcDupid
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Spurs 1-0 
.
Hey Winnow, are we going to post on this thread throughout the season?or are you going to start another throughout progression?
.Hey Winnow, are we going to post on this thread throughout the season?or are you going to start another throughout progression?
I didnt have no dates at homecoming,thats cause i had your girl naked in my home cumming.
She was looking at it like, "that isn''t gonna fit", u want a smaller size go and rent a plastic dick.
She was looking at it like, "that isn''t gonna fit", u want a smaller size go and rent a plastic dick.
People still make idiotic posts?Rellix wrote:People still watch the NBA?
My prediction: Spurs over Pacers in the finals. Amare out all year and the Suns have a major setback. Heat blows up and Riley takes over. Timberwolves fail to make the play-offs and Lakers suprise us.
Last edited by Kelshara on November 2, 2005, 10:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Sylvus
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I don't know how anyone can pick against the Pistons winning the Eastern Conference again. We're returning everyone, and have gotten deeper on the bench.
Look for a repeat of last year's finals, with Robert Horry not getting lucky and the Pistons winning their second championship in three years.
Respect.
Look for a repeat of last year's finals, with Robert Horry not getting lucky and the Pistons winning their second championship in three years.
Respect.
"It's like these guys take pride in being ignorant." - Barack Obama
Go Blue!
Go Blue!
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Pherr the Dorf
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noel
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Two word answer:Sylvus wrote:I don't know how anyone can pick against the Pistons winning the Eastern Conference again. We're returning everyone, and have gotten deeper on the bench.
Look for a repeat of last year's finals, with Robert Horry not getting lucky and the Pistons winning their second championship in three years.
Respect.
Larry Brown
Last year, the Pistons were 9-8 without Larry Brown and 45-20 with him. Statistically, that's a pretty huge difference in performance. Don't get me wrong, Flip Saunders is a good coach. In fact, he's one of the best, but he's no Larry Brown. He couldn't manage the egos of Sprewell and Cassel, and I have doubts about his ability to handle 'Sheed.
That's why I'm not picking them to go to the finals again this year. If it makes you feel any better, I think it's safe to pick Big Ben as the Defensive player of the year again...
Sorry, I think the Eastern conference finals will be Indiana and Miami.
Oh, my God; I care so little, I almost passed out.
Yes the web is perfect for sarcasm! And nope I don't bother to proofread my posts here.
I don't think Detroit will do that well this year due to Flip Saunders. You are going from a defensive coach to an offensive, from one that was a master at handling egos to.. well.. one that has not proven to be it. I might end up being wrong but that is how I am looking at it right now. Time will tell.
Plus I never liked Detroit!
And nope I don't bother to proofread my posts here. I don't think Detroit will do that well this year due to Flip Saunders. You are going from a defensive coach to an offensive, from one that was a master at handling egos to.. well.. one that has not proven to be it. I might end up being wrong but that is how I am looking at it right now. Time will tell.
Plus I never liked Detroit!
The games that the Pistons were without Larry Brown were not meant to be. It is never in a team's best interest for its coach to be absent for any amount of games, and to adjust to new, temporarily leadership is difficult to do.Last year, the Pistons were 9-8 without Larry Brown and 45-20 with him. Statistically, that's a pretty huge difference in performance. Don't get me wrong, Flip Saunders is a good coach. In fact, he's one of the best, but he's no Larry Brown. He couldn't manage the egos of Sprewell and Cassel, and I have doubts about his ability to handle 'Sheed.
I think the Pistons will still be the force they have always been, and with Flip as coach, we might actually see the bench players get some time in. Darko, maybe?
Rellix wrote:People still watch the NBA?
You are everything horrible in a forum.Rellix wrote:P.S. Nice job picking up on my sarcasm
I'd hate Hillary just as much if it was a woman. ┌┘ Winnow
you pretentious fuckwits ┌┘ Nick
┌┘ Miir
thoroughly groped┌┘ Xyun
you pretentious fuckwits ┌┘ Nick
┌┘ Miirthoroughly groped┌┘ Xyun
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XunilTlatoani
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I'm looking for good things from the Bulls again this year. They may have lost in the first round last year, but they had the third best record in the conference with a rookie second-round point guard. What they lack in star-power, they make up for with one of the deepest benches in the NBA. As I see it, the keys for them this year are:
- Shooting: Must improve the perimiter shooting as they do not have a reliable inside scorer. They had talented shooters last year all around with Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Nocioni, Piatkowski, Pargo and even Duhon at times. I'm not sure how the new guys fit in yet though, but the guys from last year need to improve their consistency.
- Defense: Must continue their hot defense from last year and make the opponent play their pace. The key to their success is that barely anyone plays 30+ minutes a game...always keeping a fresh body out there.
- Tyson Chandler: If any one player is pivotal to the team's success, Tyson is it. I don't need him to score a ton of points, but he does need to be a stud defender in the paint no matter who he matches up against. His post defense was shaky at times last year, but he did have moments of brilliance. He's a veteran now, and he needs to come into his role as a fierce presence down low.
The Bulls are in a tough division, but I see them near the top again. I think a top 3 seed is too much to look for, but I think they'll fall in place around 4th or 5th again this year.
- Shooting: Must improve the perimiter shooting as they do not have a reliable inside scorer. They had talented shooters last year all around with Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, Nocioni, Piatkowski, Pargo and even Duhon at times. I'm not sure how the new guys fit in yet though, but the guys from last year need to improve their consistency.
- Defense: Must continue their hot defense from last year and make the opponent play their pace. The key to their success is that barely anyone plays 30+ minutes a game...always keeping a fresh body out there.
- Tyson Chandler: If any one player is pivotal to the team's success, Tyson is it. I don't need him to score a ton of points, but he does need to be a stud defender in the paint no matter who he matches up against. His post defense was shaky at times last year, but he did have moments of brilliance. He's a veteran now, and he needs to come into his role as a fierce presence down low.
The Bulls are in a tough division, but I see them near the top again. I think a top 3 seed is too much to look for, but I think they'll fall in place around 4th or 5th again this year.
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masteen
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I predict that the NBA will continue to lose market share.
Thuggery will continue to escalate, despite increasing fines and the (roofles) dress code.
Small market teams will continue to lose money and/or fail to be competitive.
Allen Iverson will not win a title.
Thuggery will continue to escalate, despite increasing fines and the (roofles) dress code.
Small market teams will continue to lose money and/or fail to be competitive.
Allen Iverson will not win a title.
"There is at least as much need to curb the cruel greed and arrogance of part of the world of capital, to curb the cruel greed and violence of part of the world of labor, as to check a cruel and unhealthy militarism in international relationships." -Theodore Roosevelt
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Sylvus
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That pretty much sums up what I was going to reply to Noel. There is a big difference between losing a coach due to illness for a short stretch and getting a new coach that you can work with all through the preseason.Leonaerd wrote:The games that the Pistons were without Larry Brown were not meant to be. It is never in a team's best interest for its coach to be absent for any amount of games, and to adjust to new, temporarily leadership is difficult to do.
I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens, but I've seen too many people picking the Pistons to be the third team in the Eastern Conference. Look for them in the NBA finals, they'll be there!
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masteen
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I was thinking more of the T-wolves, the Clippers, and the Nuggets.
Oh, I forgot that it's IMPOSSIBLE in Suvenworld for sports teams to lose money, or a la the Clippers, NEVER field a competitive product but just make money.
EDIT: oops, sorry, kelshara
Oh, I forgot that it's IMPOSSIBLE in Suvenworld for sports teams to lose money, or a la the Clippers, NEVER field a competitive product but just make money.
EDIT: oops, sorry, kelshara
Last edited by masteen on November 3, 2005, 3:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"There is at least as much need to curb the cruel greed and arrogance of part of the world of capital, to curb the cruel greed and violence of part of the world of labor, as to check a cruel and unhealthy militarism in international relationships." -Theodore Roosevelt
You think that listing those teams proves your point?I was thinking more of the T-wolves, the Clippers, and the Nuggets.
Oh, I forgot that it's IMPOSSIBLE in Suvenworld for sports teams to lose money, or a la the Clippers, NEVER field a competitive product but just make money.
The T-Wolves are a small market team that was in the Western Conference Finals 2 years ago and are not there anymore because of horrible management. Their personnel decisions are terrible and they are missing a lot of homegrown talent because they haven't had draft picks.
The Clippers are from Los Angeles. A terrible team? Sure. But they have ABSOLUTELY FUCKING NOTHING to do with "small market teams failing to be competitive or losing money."
Denver is a midsized market, I guess. Maybe it's a small market. Either way, they're quite a competitive team.
Explain to me how small market teams in basketball are worse off than small market teams in other sports. What is it about the NBA that makes them worse off? How does their being worse off manifest itself?
I don't actually care about basketball but hopefully the Pacers will not make the playoffs as I live right next to the stupid place they play and the games seem to last two months longer than they should. No I don't want to buy any tickets nor do I have any I wish to sell leave me the fuck alone!
Having said that how do they manage to fall into the 'small market teams' category? I'm not exactly sure what that means in sports terminology. Indianapolis is a fairly large area and they don't seem to have trouble getting people to go to the games. Unfortunately for me.
Having said that how do they manage to fall into the 'small market teams' category? I'm not exactly sure what that means in sports terminology. Indianapolis is a fairly large area and they don't seem to have trouble getting people to go to the games. Unfortunately for me.
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masteen
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If you're not in Chicago, NYC, LA, or Miami, you're a small market.
"There is at least as much need to curb the cruel greed and arrogance of part of the world of capital, to curb the cruel greed and violence of part of the world of labor, as to check a cruel and unhealthy militarism in international relationships." -Theodore Roosevelt