It's time for Basketball!

[Halx]

The NBA season starts off today - what are your thoughts and predictions?

What is it these days? Nobody is healthy. It seems like everyone gets surgery in the offseason, so the first few months of the season are all scrappy while we wait for everyone to get healthy. I don't like it at all. Hell, the Lakers are starting off the season with most of their team already limping. What the hell happened? I know injuries "happen" but this is stupid to have half your team sitting and hobbling out of the fucking gate.

Kobe, Vlad, Mihm, Kwame - thats 4/5ths of the fuckin starting lineup.

With that being said, I don't want to make a prediction on my team yet, because I have no fuckin' clue who is going to be playing. As with any team with Kobe Bryant, if they get into the playoffs, they can pull a Cardinals, but they have to get there first. Last year they lasted farther than expected, and this year wont be any different.

The teams I expect to be playing great basketball are Chicago, Orlando, LA Clippers. They wont be the top of their conference, but their play will be notable and enjoyable.

Team I wish would just die: New York. Give it a rest, not even Portland is as screwed as these guys.

[warrrreagl]

I've always been a Clippers fan myself. They seem to have finally moved past that funk where they kept selling off their talent to balance the books. I like the product they put on the floor now.

[jorgelito]

Here, here on the Clippers. I've been going to their games for a long time ("hate" the Lakers). I feel like we are finally vindicated a bit. Looking forward to a great season from them.

Also, the kids should be fun to watch and see their development: Wade, LeBron, Carmelo.

Another intriguing team is the Rockets. With both Yao and McGrady healthy and the addition of Bonzi and Battier, should be a strong team now. This could be Yao's year after last year's partial breakout season.

Hal, I also noticed injuries seem to occur more often now, across all sports. I bet someone could figure it out with Excel and a stats database for the past 30 years. I think it may be because people are pushing themselves to hard, people are also getting bigger so contact sports injuries are more serious. Plus the seasons are longer too now I think. So it's natural that the increase in wear and tear would take a toll on athletes' bodies.

[Halx]

The talk of the town for LA is Andrew Bynum. He showed some real spark in the opener last night. The fans think he's gonna turn out really nice. If this guy can beef up a little, I look forward to some absolutely nasty Kobe/Bynum combos.

[powerclown]

Nice game from LA and nice game from Bynum (and Odom). I thought LA looked like a cohesive unit for the first time in a long time. I'm afraid that Kobe's return is going to disrupt that harmony. Maurice Evans...he was off the bench here in Detroit last year (Smush, the year before that), and while an excellent athlete, has hands of rock and disappears in the big games. He is young though. I'd like to see him start for a while, and get his confidence up. Amare Stoudemire....it is sad what has happened to this formerly unstoppable force. Chicago looked very impressive as well. They looked like a completely different team from the last 3-4 years.

[DHS]

Both LA teams could be interesting to watch this year. The Clippers are going to shock someone in the playoffs. In the East I have to say that the Bulls may be the team to watch, and that is not to take away from the Heat. I also think Orlando is putting some people in place to get better. They are the next Clippers.

[jorgelito]

Damn, Lakers did well tonight under Odom, what a talent. The kids did a nice job too, all the noobs. Walton in coming along nicely. They showed real poise during the game while Golden State fell apart. The bench stepped up too tonight. I wonder if they will be able to hold it together when Kobe gets back or will they all just stand around and watch Kobe go 1 on 5?

Clipps didn;t win tonight but Shaun Livingstone got off to a shaky start. He's another kid I think will do well (at least has the potential to).

Here's to week 1!

[Halx]

Lakers 3-0. Let a big lead slip away, but that was mainly Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis showing their full talent to fight their way back. Once they locked down Allen, Ronny Turiaf's excellent heart and energy totally carried the team. Kobe looked flat and it was apparent with 5 turnovers, missed dunks and layups, but he made up for it with solid defense and passing skills. Oh ya, and he also scored a bunch. Odom was brilliant again, and he will continue to be throughout the year. Walton very quietly had the game of his career. Everything is looking great.

3 things have to happen for the Lakers to continue like this:
Kobe has to get his conditioning back to normal.
Bynum has to follow Kobe and get his conditioning up as well. He was exhausted after the first half.
Radmanovic has to keep finding ways to contribute despite his hand. He's been doing great so far.

[Lizra]

I'm from Indiana...go PACERS! (but they are having struggles! I miss Reggie....)

[Esen]

Well,
I think the Knicks are playing with more heart..
Now if they can just get the talent
Man , I hope they can turn it around somehow.

[Cross-Over]

Besides the aforementioned, Utah and New Orleans are playing very well. Neither is all that surprising. New Orleans played well last year, and they improved in free agency and through trades. Paul is great, a true floor general. They robbed Chicago by giving away dog-housed J.R. Smith and 37-year-old PJ Brown for Tyson Chandler. Chicago then trades Smith for some minor cap room and a couple second round picks. Chandler's impact on the game is similar to Ben Wallace. He has averaged nearly 10 boards a game the last two years playing less than 6th man minutes. Utah is finally healthy, and they are always well coached. Boozer has been beaten up in the media and the subject of a lot of trade rumors, but he is a double-double threat each night. Harpring is another Jazz player that missed a lot of time last year, but is tough nosed and a very efficient shooter from anywhere on the court.


Out of the east, Miami looks old, but they will still contend. My original hometown Hawks are a surprising 3-1, but I don’t expect the honeymoon to last. I was very disappointed when Marvin Williams broke his hand right before the opener; he killed in a summer league.

[Halx]

I've been under the impression that Odom is from Queens, NY.

I'm happy for Utah and NO. Sloan will go down as one of the greatest coaches to never win a championship. He just knows how to field a great team, no matter what he's got to work with.

I'm starting to get real hyped up about Andrew Bynum. People are talking him up left and right. He's got Kareem teaching him all the tricks in the book. He's even got a sky hook that he has yet to use in a game. I think the day he throws it up there in front of Staples fans, the city is gonna explode. He's a very promising talent.

[Xazy]

Will be interesting to see if stoutamiere return makes such a big difference.

[boom29]

There's more Clippers fans here than I've met in my entire life.

Go Clips!!

[dlish]

i might be a sydney boy, but a spurs fan through and through!

they aint doin too bad either.. 4-1. dallas has shit itself this year so far.. 0-3.. geez whats the story there?

[DJ Happy]

Originally Posted by Cross-Over

They robbed Chicago by giving away dog-housed J.R. Smith and 37-year-old PJ Brown for Tyson Chandler. Chicago then trades Smith for some minor cap room and a couple second round picks. Chandler's impact on the game is similar to Ben Wallace. He has averaged nearly 10 boards a game the last two years playing less than 6th man minutes.

Great rebounder, but that's where it stops. He is a terrible defender, shies away from contact and is foul prone. He is nothing like Wallace.

[jorgelito]

Bynum has great potential but too many people are ready to hand him the title of "Best Center in the NBA". I heard some pretty ridiculous statements from ESPN yesterday about that.

I think the Lakes have a great squad with big upside. They just need some seasoning and hopefully a vaccine for Kobe-itis. Their rooks are great, but they are still rookies and make rookie mistakes. Bynum has only played lie 5 games so far let's not jump the gun here. Walton has been great and is coming along well, hopefully Turliaf can stay consistent with his passion and energy. Smush, Farmar, and the vics need to stay steady and Lakes are looking good.

It will be interesting to see how the lineup gets toggled when Chris Mihm and Kwame Brown come back.

Clippers, Clippers, Clippers! It's funny to see "Clipper's fans" come out now and claim they always have been. Typical LA. Bandwagoning folk they are. Everytime I try and engage someone on Clipper ball, they can't even name the starting 5. Even the Lakers fans can't even name the starting 5. That's LA for you.

Should be a great season for both LA teams though. I hope the Clips take it deep into the playoffs at least. Preferably by ousting the Lakers, hahaha.

[Cross-Over]

Originally Posted by DJ Happy

Great rebounder, but that's where it stops. He is a terrible defender, shies away from contact and is foul prone. He is nothing like Wallace.

I disagree. Saying he shies away from contact is very subjective. Personally I don't think he does. Statisitically, being foul prone would support that he doesn't shy away from contact. In addition, the rate at which he rebounds isn't just because of height or athleticism. It is the NBA, bodies bang the worst in the paint. Perhaps just saying "he doesn't make good contact, thus is foul prone", would have been a better statement.

He is not a terrible defender. For a center in the NBA, I would consider him slightly above average. He blocks shots at a good rate for the amount of minutes he plays, plus he rebounds at a high rate (defensive rebounds count for defense, which contributed to Ben Wallace winning multiple defensive MVPs). The only reason I wouldn't consider him a good defender is the fact the he is foul prone.

So I stand by what I wrote, I do think that his impact on the game is similar. What I insinuated by writing my original post, but never stated, is that the money that they already had invested in Chandler was reasonable. To go and offer even more money for a player on the back side of his prime, who doesn't do that much more (they both are poor offensive threats and the game is played one two sides of the court) when you aren't a Ben Wallace away from a championship is a very questionable move.

[Halx]

Ya know.. I can prove that I'm a Clippers fan. Yes, I can quote Ralph Lawler from a game I can guarantee nobody else was watching except me, back in the day. Clippers at Knicks.


Lakers started out strong, but are now struggling. Lost to Portland and Detroit. Ow. Its definitely gonna take a little while for the youngsters to get a grip.

[Esen]

Man,

I can't beleive Brandon Roy is still hurt.
I hope he heals soon, He would may a great ROY

[DJ Happy]

Originally Posted by Cross-Over

I disagree. Saying he shies away from contact is very subjective. Personally I don't think he does. Statisitically, being foul prone would support that he doesn't shy away from contact.

As a Bulls fan, I used to cringe watching him inside. To think we gave away Elton Brand to get him still makes me want to cry. He is foul prone because he has a tendency to play defense with his hands, because he's not willing to do the hard work you need to when you're an interior defender - he'd rather try to swat the ball away than make his man work for his shot. Of course, when he's in foul trouble he can't do that anymore, so he just gets scored on. And while he may block some shots, it's usually not the shots of the man he is defending (as is in fact the case for most blocked shots). Good 'off-the-ball' defending, terrible 'on-the-ball.'

He is a great rebounder, just don't ask him to stop his man scoring.

[powerclown]

10 months ago.
Seems like 10 years ago...

[Lizra]

Originally Posted by Halx

I've been under the impression that Odom is from Queens, NY.

You are correct! I was thinking of Greg Oden.....my 10 year old future NBA player son ( ) clued me in. Sorry!
In the next few years...watch for this guy.....



from CHN College basketball website.....

"The fans attending the Reebok ABCD Camp in Hackensack NJ. last week had to wait until Saturday night in order to get their monies worth when 6’9 forward Derrick Caracter from St. Patrick’s High (N.J.) squared off against 7’0 center Greg Oden from Lawrence North High (Ind.). It was a match up of arguably the top two players of 2006. Even the hype of Oden being possibly the best of the best couldn’t keep Character from bringing it to the big man and slightly tarnishing the Superman cape that has been put on Odem since his performance at last year’s Nike camp vaulted him as the top prospect and according to some recruiters the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NBA draft.



But Oden sees things differently regarding his possible emergence from high school straight to the NBA. “A lot of high school players didn’t go to college and develop their skills,” says Odem. “I have no offensive game, and if I go to college I can develop that. Without an offensive game, you’re really nothing in the NBA.”



With the combination of his outside game raining 3-pointers from beyond the arc and inside play, Character seemingly scored at will against the bigger Oden. Character’s patented spin move from the baseline frustrated Oden, who at times looked awkward trying to defend against him. “I just wanted to play my hardest and do my best,” said Character. “I didn’t have anything to prove. I knew he was tall and tough. I just wanted to go out there and make him work.”



Even with his lackluster performance Oden still managed to swat away almost anything that came his way on the defensive end and even energized the crowd with his thunderous dunks and ball handling skills on offense.



Oden still cemented his fate as the top prospect of 2006 averaging 11.5 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks per game and shooting lights out with an impressive 70% form the field throughout the week. Oden was rewarded for his impressive performance by being selected to the all-star game for underclassmen but was forced to sit out with an ankle injury from earlier in the day.



Both Caracter and Oden were named MVP’s of the camp, but most importantly left Hackensack, N.J. as the top two prospects in the Class of 2006."

[powerclown]

To the City of Chicago:

What have you done to Ben Wallace? Are you poisoning his meals? Are you putting valium in his gatorade? Why are you not allowing him access to his PowerFro? Everbody knows that The 'Fro was his secret weapon in Detroit for the last 4 years...where's it been?

In all seriousness, I think Ben's hurt. He'll come around. In the meantime, Chicago needs to learn how to take better shots and put the ball in the hole.

[goddfather40]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I also would like to sign powerclown's above note

Especially because I have Big Ben on my fantasy team.

[pacaveli]

Okafor might win DPOY this year if he keeps blocking shots like he is

[powerclown]

Originally Posted by goddfather40

Especially because I have Big Ben on my fantasy team.

Ben will come around. Give it 20-30 games, once HeadbandGate is forgotten. And good thing you don't have Brad Miller.

Okafor has been playing like an allstar. Hopefully he can stay healthy. His teammate Morrison could also be ROY if he keeps scoring like he's been - 27 the other night.

PLAYOFFS
EAST
1. Detroit
2. Miami
3. Cleveland
4. Orlando
5. New Jersey
6. Indiana
7. Chicago
8. Charlotte

WEST
1. Dallas
2. Utah
3. San Antonio
4. Houston
5. Phoenix
6. LAC
7. LAL
8. Seattle

FINAL: Detroit over Dallas in 7

[powerclown]

Current funnest to watch teams:
LA Lakers
Houston Rockets
Phoenix Suns
NY Knicks

Current least favorite/most boring to watch teams:
Detroit Pistons
Boston Celtics
OK Hornets
Milwaukee Bucks
Philedelphia 76ers
Charlotte Bobcats
Cleveland Cavaliers
New Jersey Nets
Memphis Grizzlies
GS Warriors
Minnesota Timberwolves
Indiana Pacers
Miami Heat
Chicago Bulls


Not the NBA's best year ever.

[Halx]

The KNICKS? Oi. What's your definition of fun?

I'm gonna go ahead and say that all of the top teams in the west are fun to watch. Everyone is playing faster basketball than they used to a few years ago. Even the Spurs. Its funny how Cleveland leads the East, though, and they play the slowest, most agonizing basketball on the planet.

My Lakers are doing so well lately. Tonight will be a test. After making it through San Antonio, they have to face Dallas right away. If we come away from tonight with a win, I'm gonna declare the Lakers as NBA champions this year.

[powerclown]

Marbury is actually playing very well lately...I like that he's getting the chance to redeem himself and he's doing it. Crawford, Curry and Lee are playing well too. They're playing bad defense, but the games are fast paced and they've been scoring over 100 points fairly consistently. I have a feeling the Knicks are going to win their division. The Cavs plain suck. And thats saying something with Basketball God himself playing for them. No way they stay on top for much longer.

Lakers as NBA champions???
I'll wait on Odom and Brown before going that far.
It is a revelation to see Kobe playing team ball though.

[pacaveli]

lakers would be smarter to trade kwame because he was playing well, before he can come back and start playing his normal terrible. they could get a draft pick from a team lacking a big man for him.



anyways

my suns are tearing the leauge apart again. Did u see them destroy the Cavs, it was fun to watch

[Halx]

Surprised Kobe is playing team ball? Kwame isn't playing well as a fluke. Oh man, you guys have the wrong idea about the Lakers.

All you need to know is they run a system that benefits certain kinds of players in certain roles. Kwame fits into the system at center very well. He's also grown defensively. Kobe knows the system like the back of his hand and his teammates are really starting to understand where they fit into the offense. There's nothing surprising or flukey about it. For those who know what the Lakers are about, this was simply a matter of time.

[pacaveli]

kwame is still over rated they are better off giving bynum more minutes and lettinghim learn since, and lets face facts, he will play more than kwame next year. Better to get him experienced this year.

and it doesn't matter lakers are still gonna get torched by the suns, dallas, spurs, and nuggets in the playoffs

[powerclown]

Surprised Kobe is playing team ball?

Not surprised...more like shocked.
You honestly expected Kobe to be playing like this?
It's great that he's playing teamball and making his teammates better, but who expected 26-14 and going strong in january?

--

The nuggets need a point guard to even get into the playoffs.
For some reason, they let go of the only ones they had.

--

I like Webber's hands.
Real nice!

[pacaveli]

blake is a good point guard

[Halx]

pac, Lakers beat the Spurs and lost to Dallas on the second game of a back to back. Tonight's loss was a lesson in matchups that highlighted a big hole where Odom and Kwame used to be. I have no fear for the playoffs, assuming we're healthy.

You're showing your lack of Laker knowledge when you say Bynum should get more minutes than Kwame. Phil Jackson doesn't play that way. Sure, the kid is doing great, but Kwame does better and will retain his starting role once he is healthy.

powerclown, I expected it. I don't know what it is with people outside of LA, but somehow the media has failed to communicate the drive that Kobe has for winning. Its not a reckless "I am the best and I can just will this to happen" mentality.. no way. Kobe is humbled in that sense... he's intense, but he listens when people talk. He now shows that he doesn't need to pour in 40 points every night to be the best player on the planet. Its great to watch and cheer for. Cause he still makes shots that nobody else on the planet can.

[powerclown]

Originally Posted by Halx

He now shows that he doesn't need to pour in 40 points every night to be the best player on the planet. Its great to watch and cheer for. Cause he still makes shots that nobody else on the planet can.

I think you're missing the point here.
I'm not saying Kobe isn't the best player in the world.
I think he is the best player in the world.
I'm saying nobody expected him to give up taking 30 shots a game and pass the ball.
I'm saying nobody thought he would get his teammates involved in the offense.
I'm saying nobody thought the Lakers could win unless Kobe scored 40 every night.
I'm saying nobody thought he could be a real leader to his young teammates.
Wasn't that the knock on him a year or 2 ago? Selfish, ball hog, too hard on his teammates, felt he had to carry the team every single night, etc.

pacaveli: I guess it depends on the your definition of "good".
Blake is a career 3.1/6.1 apg/ppg guy with no playoff experience.
They should never have gotten rid of Miller (7.6/14.1) imo.
Iverson is trouble.

[Lizra]

Well, the Pacers just made a big trade...I guess it will stop everyone from ragging awhile for losing so much....don't expect much more out of it than some time bought though...... I guess it's just about the west this year.

Thorntown Elementary has a SUPER-HOT 5th grade team though! Man, I love to watch the hot shot little hoosier boys play B-ball like their lives are depending on it.

[zeeeeeeek]

are we allowed to upload links to full Nba games or clips????

[pacaveli]

Originally Posted by powerclown

pacaveli: I guess it depends on the your definition of "good".
Blake is a career 3.1/6.1 apg/ppg guy with no playoff experience.
They should never have gotten rid of Miller (7.6/14.1) imo.
Iverson is trouble.

Blake is by no means excellent, and not in the same league as andre miller, but he's decent. his assist will pick up because his scoring is going to drop off. Denver loves to run so he'll get more chances to get those assists. That being said, he's averaging a little under 5 on this year, and i've never been a career stat guy, unless his career is over. Right now is what interests me durring the season

he had 12 assists tonight