The only teams in the West that I feel have a legit chance are the Spurs and Lakers. Though I think a lot has to do with which teams are hitting their stride as they enter the playoffs - if the Mavs suddenly click in the 1st round they might make it to the Finals. The Suns are done and need to rebuild. Utah and New Orleans COULD go far, but I see them falling short of making the Finals. Whatever happens, the Western Playoffs are gonna be really fun to watch! Now the East - bleh! What a bunch of crap! You've got 2.5 good teams. It's basically gonna be a cake walk to the Finals. It's time to dissolve the conferences...at least when it comes to playoff seeding. Do we REALLY need to see the 6ers? Or the BULLETS (eff the "Wizards"). Or the Nets? What a joke.
I notice you didn't mention the rockets - what do you think of them? 20 streak now? Personally I think they (tracy) will FINALLY win a playoff round as long as they get a favourable matchup.. but with the quality of the west i'm not so sure if there really are any favourable matchups as per the east, yeah it's a pretty rubbish conference, or at least terribly inconsistent. A few of the teams (sixers, hawks) could be really good but just don't pull it off enough. Iggy never really (although he's still young) hit his 'upside', and for the hawks i'm not sure getting bibby was the right thing. Imagine how different they would have been if they'd taken either paul or williams instead of fucking marvin williams for crying out loud! but really that's a silly game to play. It's funny, I still don't see the cavs as a good team really, despite the fact they're 3rd.. it's still just lebron and the others dissolving conferences would be good, just having the top 16 teams and also make it more even in terms of how many times you play teams from each 'coast'.
I hope McGrady finally makes it out of the first round. But I don't see them seriously contending for a title. It's amazing that they've been able to continue their streak without Yao though. I hope Detroit wins it all. I think only Detroit and the Spurs have the integrity, to go along with the ability, that deserves a championship (I hate how Boston just waits for people to get waived and then picks them up, and I hate that the Lakers were just given Pau on a silver platter...kinda the same with Boston and KG, but not quite as bad - things like that need to be stopped).
personally i hate detroit, dunno what it is (but it could be chauncey billups), don't get me wrong they're a great team but man it gives me great satisfaction to see them fail, same with san antonio. Pissed me off when popovich was moaning about the gasol trade and also the stackhouse to new jersey back to dallas thing when it appeared they turned around to do the same with brent barry, although now i don't know where brent barry is, seems to have fallen off the radar. Also manu ginobli is the biggest flopper out there and also i'm on the 'bruce bowen is the dirtiest defender' bandwagon. ALSO after what happened in phoenix v SA series last year, that was shite. yep houston have been doing a great job, especially with defense.. seems the two rooks have stepped up (although it still bugs me that old euros can still be classed as rookies) and finally skip to is playing like he's supposed to. him and chris paul seem to have a pretty angry rivalry going on, be good if they met up in the conference semis or something!
yeah, it has been a rock/hard place for me, because i support both the nugs and the warriors... i was hoping dallas kept faltering, but alas should be good playoffs this year, all the way through the west and at least in the conference semis in the east (can't see any of the bottom four progressing out of the first round) maybe we should do some brackets just for fun!
Sorry to break up the basketball conversation but I've gotta ask; what's the connection between Baron Davis and Maria Ozawa?
There isn't a connection with Baron Davis and Maria Ozawa. I think someone had Maria Ozawa in their avatar at one point. As far as Kevin Love..That guy is a BEAST. Hope he goes to a good team.
what you think about charlie v's play recently? to be honest I was quite surprised when the bucks traded for him... i don't get to see any games so i dunno how he's cohabiting with yi (do they play them at 3 and 4?) or with bogut.. also, do you think michael redd will stay with 'em, or has his time passed?
oh yeah i know how they're playing but a shit team can still have some positives, no?? They're not really a team I get to hear much about so a fan's insight (and not a fan who goes on the message boards LEBRON SUX KOBE 4 MVP 4 LYFE) would be appreciated!
As of right now, i'd say it's a win win for the Warriors/Nuggets. If they make the playoffs, great, but i dont see either of them taking out the top team (unless of course it's the hornets, in which case it seems to me that GS could give them problems with their speed). Otherwise they are going to be a lottery team that has ~50 wins, which is insane in it's own right. This draft is going to be deep, so even pick 14 is going to be pretty solid. The real crazy thing to think about is...next year the west is going to be even BETTER Portland is going to turn into a playoff team considering they will get oden back along with yet another lottery pick.
Yeah, seems kinda unfair to everyone else doesnt it? If portland can pick up a good 2 guard to go along with their front line and Roy handling the ball, they could be serious threats for a very long time. Oden's got a chance to turn the 'Blazers into the new Spurs.
not to mention seattle, although they won't contend next year, are going to be set up pretty well. (three top-tier picks in two years) I personally don't think green or durant will bust, and if seattle can get a decent big (and if ridnour can get some kind of damn consistency) they will be pretty good! the only problem with GSW is they kinda need to be good now which is why it was surprising when they traded away j-rich for wright, who then got splinters for most of the season. I guess that paved the way for more monta, but still - not sure if another low lottery pick will really put them over the hump next year, unless nelly shows more faith in said rookie and wright has a breakout season... we'll see though!
I didnt really understand that Wright trade when they made it. They got a HUGE trade exception on him and they have yet to do anything with it! They knew when they traded for him that Nellie wasnt going to use him. The GM and Nellie need to get on the same page if GS is going to improve. I hate hearing the sports cliche 'every game counts' but it's so true in the case of GS. They started 0-6 when Jackson was suspended, and it's cost them dearly now. If GS ends up being in the lottery next year, they need to take the J.Rich trade exception, roll it in with the lottery pick, and make a major trade with that package. You are 100% right as their time is now. There is no telling how many 82 game seasons B. Davis has left. As for seattle, they need a PG in the worst way. I'm just afraid that Green and Durant both need the ball in their hands too much on offense for them to ever work out in the long run together.
Not unfair - Pritchard was just better than all the other GMs in the '06 draft. How we came away with the two best players in that draft is still beyond me. Last year I believe that karma had a hand in the draft - all the teams that were obviously tanking for a better chance at Oden got punked. I hope that happens to Miami this year...they should drop all the way to #4. Oh, and we have our SG spot set - Roy is a SG not a PG, and we have European Player of the Year, Rudy Fernandez, coming on board next season. What we need is a PG with good defense and an outside shot.
Agreed. In 06 Pritchard did make all the other GMs look like idiots. The bulls trading the rights to Aldrige for Tyrus Thomas was beyond me. Pritchard did something in 06 that the spurs have been doing for a while. They quit going with this notion of 'who has the most potential' instead choosing 'well...who are actually the best players'. As for Roy, he's got the size of a SG, but i think he works really really well as their PG. Granted he's more like a point forward, but still. I like the way their offense looks when he's dictating it. To put the ball in someone elses hands and have roy working off screens and shooting jump shots would be a gross misuse of his talents IMO. But i definitely agree with you on one thing: Portland is going to be a beast for a very long time, starting next season. They are only going to improve.
I liken Roy's position to that of any non-PG superstar (LeBron, Kobe, Wade, etc) - the offense flows through them, but that doesn't make them the PG. He's certainly more effective as a decision maker, but we need a PG that can lessen the burden on him so we don't ride him all game long. Blake does a good job, but if Blake could be our back-up that'd be perfect.
That's a good point too. Getting someone to help handle the offense running duties would help him as well. I think that they'll most likely trade off this pick to someone else, possibly to pick up a veteran guard (whether PG or SG). They dont really need any more front court help. They'll probably unload the pick to someone who loves paying rookie salaries and hates to actually spend money on players. Basically, what you can look forward to is the LA Clippers getting the Blazers' draft pick
Crap....I didn't realize the Blazers were in the lottery. They've got massive potential. Seatle has some, too. Unfortunately, it's very likely that as of next season, they are the "Oklahoma City Sonics". Hey....maybe we can get Paul Allen to move the Blazers up here! As for the Bucks....the biggest problem is that the team has been in flux for the last 5 years...coaches and players. Guys like Charlie V have looked good recently, but he can't seem to stay healthy, and he's not good for the locker room. Bogut is only getting better...they have to keep him. They never seemed to work Yi in all that well, and he's been hurt. Redd....he is a good player, but he's streaky and he's not the go to guy. They need some people that can play defense. You can go 2 ways...completely blow up the roster, or actually decide on a team and let them grow. We'll see how the draft goes, and a healthy, better adapted Yi should help. I mis the Big 3 days...Big Dog, Ray, and Cassell.
