Basketball Thread

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

Don't worry about the Hornets being undefeated the Heat will quickly change that on Friday.

As for the Hawks, they still haven't played the Heat, Boston, Magic, Bulls, or any top 3 team in the Western Conference.

Fun fact: The Hawks have yet to play a team with a winning record.

Being 4-1 so far against 2 top 5 teams (The Heat) is more impressive than being 5-0 against a bunch of terrible teams (Hawks).

Haha, dude, nobody said the Hawks were the best in the league. We said they're good.

Also, I'd put stock in records if, you know, we were more than 5 games into the season. Chillax a bit there. lol

The Heat have impressed me with their game, but all they've shown is that they can outplay bad teams. Kinda' like the Hawks. Beating Orlando, mildly impressive. Orlando has a habit of losing games they shouldn't though. Philly, NJ, and a bad Minnesota team? Hardly worthy of praise yet. The only thing that stands out to me is that they lost to Boston.

Oh, and the Hawks have beat a fairly underrated Memphis team, and they took down John Wall. Sure they've had a fairly light schedule so far, but they're still the 3rd best team in the East in my opinion. I think the Magic are 4th.



Since I'm fearless, I'm gonna' write down how I see the league early on.

East:
1. Boston (Best until proven otherwise. Rondo is something special.)
2. Miami (They've got talent, and the East is fairly weak.)
3. Atlanta (Based on the early season, they're not as strong as the Heat.)
4. Orlando (Dwight's better, the team's worse? C'mon.)
5. Chicago (They've got a winning pedigree in the East, but they're not impressive yet.)
6. Indiana (Danny Granger is one of the hardest people to cover in the league.)
7. New York (I think Amare's enough to get them into the playoffs.)
8. Milwaukee (They're 1-4, but Corey Maggette is a great addition.)
9. Washington (John Wall has lived up to the hype, and after some experience...)
10. Cleveland (I don't think they've got anything special... But they're playing hard.)
11. New Jersey (Last year was a fluke, but they're still a weak team.)
12. Philadelphia
13. Charlotte (Larry Brown and MJ count for something, I guess.)
14. Toronto
15. Detroit

West:
1. L.A. (These *******s. XD)
2. San Antonio (Our youth and a more aggressive RJ have us looking like a number 2 seed.)
3. New Orleans (I don't like us higher since we lost, but I think we're better. NO is legit.)
4. Dallas (Consistent, and they've got Dirk. Very good squad.)
5. Portland (If they can get over injuries, they'll be as good as Atlanta.)
6. Oklahoma City (They're sketchy at times, but they're extremely good defensively.)
7. Denver (Melo or not, they've got Chauncey and J.R. Smith.)
8. Phoenix (Seeing Hakim Warrick on their team is scary. He's basically a smaller Amare.)
9. Golden State (I'm not sold on them yet, but they're a solid team.)
10. Utah (Always strong, but they're losing what little edge they had.)
11. Memphis (I'm impressed by how much they've improved over the last few years.)
12. Houston (They're better than they've showed, but they're in need of a star.)
13. L.A. Clippers (I love Blake Griffin's game. He's a monster. Too bad he's with them.)
14. Sacramento (Good squad... Not much talent...)
15. Minnesota (They can't keep getting blown out like this...)




So yeah, that's my early impressions on the teams. I do hate saying the Spurs are the 2 seed, because I think 2-5 in the west is a toss-up.

If I rated the whole league:
1. L.A.
2. Boston
3. Miami
4. Atlanta
5. San Antonio

Miami will have the league-best record, but only because LA doesn't really care about that.

Atlanta will take the Number 2 seed in the East behind them, and Boston will lock up Number 3. Orlando takes Number 4 because nobody else will.

As the West stands now, NO is the second best squad. I still think it's a bit of a fluke for them to be this good so early, but time will tell.



I'm done rambling, someone else take over. lol

 

[The Real Gamer]

Haha, dude, nobody said the Hawks were the best in the league. We said they're good.

Also, I'd put stock in records if, you know, we were more than 5 games into the season. Chillax a bit there. lol

Someone above couldn't believe the Hawks were undefeated, so I had to put things in perspective. I'm completely chill.

The Heat have impressed me with their game, but all they've shown is that they can outplay bad teams. Kinda' like the Hawks. Beating Orlando, mildly impressive. Orlando has a habit of losing games they shouldn't though. Philly, NJ, and a bad Minnesota team? Hardly worthy of praise yet. The only thing that stands out to me is that they lost to Boston.

And you're also ignoring the fact that the Heat are currently playing the toughest defense in the League as of now. I think that stands out quite a bit if you ask me. The Heat's defense had the Magic off their game for quite a while. The Heat are the better team. Strong Center or not. I don't care what anyone says about the Celtics game it's obvious that the Heat were WAYYY off balance that whole game. Miami has only gotten better since then. We will be back for blood when we rematch Boston I can promise you that. Plus we only lost to the number 1 team in the East (if not the League) by 8... Lets see how the Spurs would do against the Celtics AT HOME.

Oh, and the Hawks have beat a fairly underrated Memphis team, and they took down John Wall. Sure they've had a fairly light schedule so far, but they're still the 3rd best team in the East in my opinion. I think the Magic are 4th.

It's too early to be underestimating the Magic and overestimating the Hawks. I still say the Magic are the better team so lets see them play each other first before we jump to conclusions

Comments in bold. I STRONGLY feel like the Heat will easily be blowing out teams left and right once:

1. Chris Bosh starts playing to his real potential.
2. D Wade and LeBron get their chemistry really going.
3. We actually start getting our big men to rebound worth a ****.

I agree that the Lakers and Celtics are the better teams until proven otherwise, but don't count the Heat out at all. If you do you might end up being sorrily surprised. There's just too much offensive potential between Wade, Bron, Bosh, and our (currently hot. both shooting above 50% from 3 point range) 3 point sharpshooters Eddie House, James Jones, and Mike Miller once he returns. If the Heat had a decent big man they would win every game hands down.

And yes I love basketball.

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

Haha, dude, I said the Heat are the 3rd best team in the league, and that they'll have the season's best record! How am I underestimating them? O_o If anything, I'm caught up in the hype.

The Heat are not playing the toughest D in the league though, sorry. They're more talented, and the open court hides the average defense. Real defense is found in half-court teams, which is where the Heat will have problems against slow-paced squads... Like Boston.

These are just my opinions though, I'm not a sports guru, just a fan. I think Miami is great, but you cannot win championships without having a monster half-court game, and Bosh is too weak for that. :\

In hindsight, I may have oversighted the Hawks, but I still think they're better than Orlando.

 

[The Real Gamer]

The Heat's HC is actually trying to develop their half court offense and defense in preparation for games against the Celtics, Lakers, etc.

I can't wait till they play Boston again.

 

[theeboredone]

Hornets vs Miami will hopefully be a good game. Though I do anticipate Heat blowing them out. Right now, both the Heat and Lakers are deadly from beyond the arc. James Jones is shooting like 50% from 3, and when they get Miller back, that's two potential 40% 3 point shooters you're gonna have.

I do think Miami will have the best record, mainly because LA will eventually start slacking off like they always do. Plus, they don't want to overplay Kobe, Gasol, and the other veterans. Bynum needs to get into tip top shape when he comes back if the Lakers have any shot at beating Miami.

Both Orlando and Atlanta fail against the elite teams unless proven otherwise. Orlando NEEDS a true perimeter playmaker. Carter and Nelson disappear against the elite teams. Hornets aren't gonna trade Paul for now, considering they are 4-0. And Maaan...Orlando ***** Atlanta. No one on that team can guard Dwight. That's 4 easy wins for Orlando in the East.

I have been very impressed with Richard Jefferson so far. Last year, he was so reluctant and out of place on the Spurs team. This year, he is very aggressive, has refined his game, and is definitely a luxury to have for how much they are paying him. Spurs are definitely a dangerous team.

OKC managed to squeak out a win tonight, otherwise I would have been very disappointed at them being 2-3. This is a team many think are gonna be 2nd in the west, because they come to play every night. So far, so bad.

 

[Zigsta]

Zigsta, name search this post.

HORNETS SUCK. (I'm going to the next game we play against NO. :D)

Oh what the--

You just salty 'cuz we waxed you guys.

Miami's next. They're mad overrated, and if you're meatriding the Lebron Train, you're just silly.

 

[theeboredone]

Miami keeps it classy.

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

Calling it now, Hornets roll into Milwaukee after getting ready for Miami and lose to the Bucks tomorrow night.

Srsly, NO needs to stop winning. ****'s ridiculous.

 

[Zigsta]

Srsly, NO too good.

 

[BEHR]

LMAO if Okafor plays like the way he is then yes they will be pretty good.

 

[theeboredone]

Now I'm looking forward to the Lakers and Hornets match up. Lakers played super lazy last night (seriously, Gasol was kinda standing there the entire game), but I'm sure they will be revved up to beat the Hornets after seeing what they did to Miami.

 

[IAmBlu3]

i read this article and now i'm curious as to whether the heat would ever let lbj play pg

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ite-point-guards-lead-to-miami-heats-downfall

 

[BEHR]

Houston.

Choke City.

 

[jugfingers]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVScjIXyZ-Q

from a long time ago when vancouver had super ill ballers.

 

[BEHR]

I wish Memphis went back to Vancouver.

and OKC went back to Seattle.

 

[Zigsta]

What's that, the Hornets are a franchise-best 6-0?

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

Must be nice to have low expectations to break.

/clearlymadthattheybeatus

Spoiler

Still love you Zigs. XD

 

[Zero Beat]

You guys realize the HEAT have 13 new players in the roster and we still need to get Mike Miller, a solid big man dribbler that can shoot the three and rebound well. Let's see how they play after All-Star weekend.

How exactly is Orlando just 'mildly impressive?' Weren't they the first seed last year? Not sure how mildly impressive nets you such an accolade.

We needed that win against the Hornets badly and I'll say it again: Every team with a Deron Williams/ CP3/Rondo will give us problems because we don't have a strong defender at the 1. Yes, while the D rotates to Wade every now and then to cover the 1, we still need a solid defender there.

I'd suggest trying to start Chalmers for that purpose only for a few games, just to test the waters. This is the time..Wasn't Wade and Chalmers the top 1 and 2 combo in the league in steals last year?

Arroyo has great ball control, but he seems to succeed in situations where he's supposed to score and lead the charge, not where there's three hungry pitbulls ready to unleash havoc.

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

Excellent point about the Heat there. I hadn't given much thought to starting Chalmers for defense alone, and you're right about them having a weakness against a true PG. I like that idea.

And hey, nobody said the Heat will have amazing chemistry only 2 weeks into the season. However, they've got sick pressure put on them for assembling the cast like they did, and that means the expectations are outrageously high. That's just how it is.


As for Orlando, they're just mildly impressive because they haven't made any progress towards a championship these past years. For them, the Championship is their only goal, and they're not doing good enough. Don't get me wrong, they're a great squad, but they need a better PG to be championship worthy.




Anywho, nice to see a fresh face around here.

 

[Zero Beat]

I understand the whole concept of hype/pressure/expectations, it's just that we're so used to instant gratification that we want them to be beating teams by 30 points regardless of the opponent or how new these(HEAT) players are to the system.

Orlando is a team I'll gladly take a victory from because they're undeniably one of the elite teams in the league. Whether it's a 20+ point decimation or a 2 point nail biter. Yes, their goal is to win a championship, but because they haven't doesn't mean they haven't been as close as it gets to the mix. Which in case validates our victory over them as a worthy one.

P.S. Glad the Basketball thread is back in the PR.
'

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

Yeah, but while Orlando is Elite, they're weak at the point, and aren't a championship squad. :\

A win is a win though, true. I'd be more impressed with the win if it hadn't been a blowout honestly, but the Heat couldn't control that. lol

 

[LAW2222]

I wish Memphis went back to Vancouver.

and OKC went back to Seattle.

as a resident of Seattle this would make me sooo happy
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qX7czNlA3tQ/0.jpg

 

[The Real Gamer]

The Heat are currently 5-2. I was really upset when they lost to New Orleans. But of course they came back and stepped all over the Nets the next day.

I was very impressed with the Hornets and Chris Paul despite the fact that they barely won. I'm going to put them in the ranks with the Celtics, Lakers, Bulls, Magic, etc. if they keep winning against good teams.

 

[BEHR]

It its still to early to tell how they will do IMO. The West is tough.

If they played like they did against Miami they will be up there tho with OKC,Portland,Dallas.If I had to pick a seed for them maybe 4th seed maybe 3rd.


Also looks like my Rockets will get there first W of the season even if it is over the Timberpups a W is a W. :']

 

[The Real Gamer]

Well this is how I look at things- The Hornets beat the Heat, and the Magic (who is supposed to be a top 5 team this year) got stomped by the Heat. Now if the Hornets end up beating the Magic and maintain a higher record, I would say the Hornets are a bigger threat to the Heat than the Magic, which is kind hard for me to believe right now.

 

[theeboredone]

Lakers doing work on Portland right now. Hopefully they can keep it up.

Is it just me or have the elite teams this year have more blow outs then last year?

 

[Zigsta]

Well this is how I look at things- The Hornets beat the Heat, and the Magic (who is supposed to be a top 5 team this year) got stomped by the Heat. Now if the Hornets end up beating the Magic and maintain a higher record, I would say the Hornets are a bigger threat to the Heat than the Magic, which is kind hard for me to believe right now.

BELIEVE IT.

The Hornets are taking names this season.

 

[Jane]

congrats on getting the 666th post in the thread, boredone.

lol @ all my off topic posts

i'll be more on topic when college ball starts next week

 

[theeboredone]

I strive for perfection. Kind of interesting, cause right now, my total points in Fantasy Football is 666 LOL. College ball is boring in my opinion. I like the teammwork each team shows, but the talent is completely lacking. There aren't many guys like Kobe, LeBron, Wade, and there are definitely no low post talented players.

 

[Jane]

whaaat? really? i completely disagree man. well, i mean i guess it would be accurate to say they arent as "talented" (even then theres A LOT of players that play at a pro level imo). but i just think college ball is much more exciting. especially during the NCAA championships, aww man, thats my favorite.

but i do KINDA see what you mean, i think its just a preference thing. so agree to disagree

 

[The Real Gamer]

Is it just me or have the elite teams this year have more blow outs then last year?

It seems like most of the elite teams are getting better and the "non elites" are getting worse.

Teams that were projected to be really good this year

Lakers: 7-0
Celtics: 6-1
Magic: 4-1
Spurs: 4-1
Heat: 5-2
Nuggets: 4-2
Mavericks: 3-2 <---don't underestimate this team. will be truly tested when they play boston tonight.
OKC Thunder: 3-3 <---i still don't know what to think about these guys.
Bulls: 2-3 <---overrated team. only reason they will be 5th seed in eastern conference is because the east, other than the top 4, sucks.

Teams that are surprising people

Hornets: 6-0 <---WTF? underestimated team they beat my Heat.
Hawks: 6-1 <---they have yet to play a good team so they will be truly tested soon.

 

[Zigsta]

Bulls will be much better when Boozer is healthy.

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

And they'll still be just a .500 team. lol

 

[theeboredone]

Boozer isn't that good on defense and his rebounding is a piece of crap. He lacks toughness as well. He'll give them more firepower, but I don't consider the Bulls an elite team.

 

[tko112]

in other news, NO is still undefeated

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

As is LA. And I don't consider NO still undefeated just for beating the Clips. XD

We get them next. I always hate trap games in the early season, the Spurs lose them so often.

 

[theeboredone]

Denver always plays LA tough, but I think LA will take them. Then again, Denver is coming off two losses, the last one just being **** awful.

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

Denver played without intensity, sure, but I told you guys not to sleep on Indiana. They're a good ball club.

Oh, and I'll say it since nobody else has: The Heat blowing a 22 point lead at home is a huge cause for concern.

 

[Zigsta]

Hornets are 7-0.

Get wrecked, NBA.

 

[Maaaaaaaaaan]

Yeah, but they're also 0-7 when it comes to losing. Bet you didn't think about that, huh?