Most forums have a thread similar to this one. Discuss all NBA that is not Bulls related. Let's see how we do.
I think the Heat are #3 in the east. Bosh/Deng/Wade are a very good big 3, Chalmers is a capable PG who defends, and McRoberts/Haslem are very effective players. If Granger can contribute, their bench is solid with Anderson, Cole, Granger, and the rookie Ennis. They were very high on Ennis going into the draft.
Ya, Indy will fall out. That being said, Toronto will give them a run! And Washington could give them a run as well for #3.
Depends on Wade. I think Bosh was a poor fit in Miami. He was a face up 4. He signs on Miami. Miami had slashers in Wade and James. So, Bosh became more of a stretch four. Now with Wade breaking down and James gone, I think Bosh will put up numbers again. Miami will be in the mix for the third seed.
Rumor is I heard it during the USA-PR game this evening) Allen may resign with Miami to stay close to his family.
I agree. Nothing against Cleveland, but if given a choice of Miami or Cleveland, I know what I would choose.
Asik's first game for New Orleans, 34 minutes, 7-10, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 blocks, 14 points. How did Davis do? 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 9 blocks! 26 points
Bryant with 25 shots in 28 minutes....this is interesting. Gibson leads Bulls with 12 shots in 28 minutes against Knicks.
I know that there are some posts on another thread, but the Knicks beat the Cavs by 5 in Cleveland? The early-season NBA can be a lot like the early-season NFL...anything can happen so it's best to keep your mouth shut and just watch for a few weeks.
I agree Transplant. NY won. Emotion was very high in Cleveland to start the game. Then once the game settled down it looked like Cleveland was spent. Cavs bench is bad. Look for Ray Allen to sign with them. They need him.
Bryant will be wore out before long. He is all they have. Young will help, but god, this team is awful `
Just got done watching Kings/Nuggets. A few thoughts: 1). Jusuf Nurkic has some serious tools. You can also tell he's a little nutty. It was fun watching him go up against Cousins. They're about the same size and athleticism, and it took them less than one minute to get hot with one another. Nurkic had no fear, and you could tell he was pissing everyone off. He has very good mobility for a guy his size, but he's all over the place on the court. He picked up 3 fouls in about 4 minutes, but you can see the raw material that's there. It's much less clear whether or not he has the head to eventually put his body to good use. The Nurkic/McDermott comparison might linger on throughout their careers. They're polar opposites as prospects. 2). It's hard to get enthusiastic about Ben MacLemore. He really doesn't assert himself at all. You can tell he has good tools but he's a bit like Tony Snell in that he doesn't seem to have the hardwiring to continually exert himself to do the things he's capable of. He's got a lot of Eddy Curry in him. 3). I think we have a punchers chance at the Kings pick this year. Boogie's a legit star, and the Kings are all-in on being mediocre for their new arena (as opposed to being a doormat). They'll play the Thunder twice while Oklahoma's two stars are out. Historically 33-37 wins gets you the 11th pick.
Just got done watching the tail end of Cavs-Jazz. The Cavs were almost bailed out again by a bad last-minute call. They're 1-3 now. In general: I still think they'll figure it out. We've seen this before....it takes a while for star players to get acclimated. So there's a little bit of nice poetic justice seeing them struggle out of the gate but I don't think it means much yet. That being said..... They do have defensive issues. My first impression is that some of the initial concerns about their lack of a rim protector and looking prophetic. The big issue personnel-wise is Kevin Love. He looks a bit out of sorts and marginalized compared to his time in Minnesota. Some of this was inevitable due to a reduced role, and we've seen this happen with Bosh too.....but he's not blended in right now. Kyrie is running around doing his thing so that's not an issue. Crazy to think they were one bad continuation call from being 0-4.
The Cavs have the same issue that the Heat did in year 1 of the big 3. They need to figure out the ball needs to be in LeBron's hands most of the time, not Kyrie's (not Wade's). It seems like LeBron isn't motivated, though.
Did you read about this? Link There are a number of ways to interpret this behavior, but one of them is just indifference.
Almost sounds like James has reconciled himself to the team development curve you guys talked about and to the extent possible wants to sit out that early unpleasant bit and wait for when the good stuff starts. Not sure it works that way. If the ball has to be in Lebron's hands and not Kyrie's, is Kyrie still Kyrie. This is a corollary to the "if Kevin Love isn't the #1 scoring option, is he still Kevin Love?" thing. These sorts of issues highlight the fact that it's a real game, not fantasy basketball.
I think James doesn't want to be superman is all. It's a lot of pressure and physical toll on the body. He's getting past his prime, too. He needs to be superman enough, though. Otherwise it's Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, basically the pretty bad Cavs/TWolves type team. But those two do have to carry the team a lot of the time so LeBron doesn't have to all the time.
