The NBA 08-09 Thread
 

The pre-season has begun.

The Lakers are looking like the team to beat. They're probably the deepest team in the league. If anyone caught highlights of last night's pre-season opener, you'd see a lot of potential. Now they have a few months to realize that potential through fluidity.. then its over. I'm looking at a 60+ win season.

The Celtics are still looking good. I expect them to come out of the East again. I don't see any other team in the East challenging them, really.

I can't believe Greg Oden has been ranked so high in player rankings and he hasn't played a single NBA game. What a joke.

Let's keep this going throughout the season.

as always..my beloved spurs will win and reign supreme once again.

nuggets my 2nd choice!

go west!

As to a surprise team this year? How about the Toronto Raptors. Not in LA's league (well, you know what I mean),
but I think they have a shot to go three rounds in the playoffs.

I just hope the Knicks don't embarrass themselves again this year. Maybe they can become semi-credible under Mike D'Antoni.

I have my doubts about the Knicks as long as Marbury remains a part of the team. I can't think he'll be satisfied coming off the bench, he's been a starter all his career and when is the last time he's done something for the good of the team? Philadelphia has an interesting team, Charlotte with Larry Brown coaching, Houston an interesting team, $100 million Arenas in DC, Toronto if O'Neal can reach his potential again and remain injury free, although they took a hit losing TJ Ford I think. No clue what the Pistons will do, depends on how a few key young guys play, I like Kwame (not our jailed mayor), he doesn't need to score, and I think he'll be a decent defender with Sheed in his ear all year long. Boston-LAL Final again.

They're the Knicks. In the post-Isiah period. You should hope for them not to have a gunfight a center court in the middle of a game this year. Or to average 7 guys dressed per game for the year.

Aw c'mon. This isn't the Blazers or Pacers we're talking about here.

True. But I see unreached potential for violence in the Knicks. They're a scowl away from a full-blown riot.

On a completely unrelated note, go Bulls.

To be fair, Kevin Pritchard has now removed all the malcontents from the team.

With Brandon Roy, Aldridge, Oden, and Rudy Fernandez, this looks to be a good team to watch.

As far as Oden being rated so high without playing, what about Durant last year, or LeBron a few years back. The highest drafted players often come in with uber-high expectations.

Here's my prediction that the Blazers win at least 4 games.... which still might not mean a playoff berth.

The Knicks of today are a bunch of softies. Not like the Knicks of yesteryear who knew how to tumble. I wish they had that kind of fight in them, maybe then they won't roll over and get kicked around so much.

Even the coaches got down:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3..._On_Alonzo.jpg

And they weren't afraid to hook off on a superstar:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...mondo/chow.jpg

That brawl at the garden was nothing compared to when Pat Riley was around with Ewing, Oakley, and Starks.

Who is that Knick throwing a punch? Is that a photoshop?

How bout them Milwaukee Bucks? $72 million for Bogut??? I would have given it to Stoudemire. They look pretty good on paper.

That's Chris Childs throwing a mean right hook to Kobe.

$72 million for Bogut...The league must really be hurting for quality centers.

Ah ok, Chris Childs...looked familiar forgot the name. I guess its no surprise how Ben Wallace became Ben Wallace (well, the pre-Bulls/Cavs Ben Wallace) under Charles Oakley's tutelage. Riley's Knicks were great fun to watch...it is hard to believe how far they have fallen. Wonder how Isaiah feels about Donnie Walsh keeping Marbury over him.

Because they did not lose any rotation players and they have Bynum back, the Lakers are the favorite. The Hornets are not far behind though.

However, they were also the clear favorite in the finals last year, but were outplayed. The Celtics needed 7 games to get past the below .500 Hawks, and the Lakers swept a potent Nuggets team. Phil Jackson was supposed to be the better coach over Rivers. Kobe was the MVP and three time champion, while Pierce, Allen, and KG never made an NBA finals.

Kobe simply did not step up in the finals as he was expected to. The league MVP had a poor performance in the finals similar to what he did years back in defeat to the Pistons. He shot around 40% & turned the ball over nearly 4 times a game. People blamed Odom and Gasol, but the truth is, they both shoot a much better percentage and are not anymore to blame than Kobe.

I think the Celtics should have paid Posey a little more, and the east became stronger this offseason. If Lebron could make the Finals with his 2006 roster, he could do it again. Is this the year Dwight Howard establishes himself as a 25 and 15 per night guy?

I don't think you can blame the Finals on any one player of the Lakers. When the Celtics came back from 26 down to beat them one game, it crushed the whole team. It IS a team game and Kobe has scaled back his game to fit with that idea. You can't beat the Celtics by yourself. You can hope for better performances from individuals, but the team needs to be working together.

With that said, the Lakers did lose Ronnie Turiaf. They managed to get Josh Powell in his place, who is a better rebounder and comparable defender (lacks versatility though). I personally think playing Gasol and Bynum together will stagnate the offense and confuse their defense. I am in favor of splitting the team up into two cohesive units. The same starting 5 as last year will provide a good margin for the second unit, who is deeper than any other in the league, to completely bust open on the second string scrubs. It will also give everyone a lot more rest.

I like Odom, but while he's got all the talent in the world he is a headcase who disappears in the playoffs, along with Gasol who plays poorly under pressure and against dominant centers/pf like KG. Bynum has been in exactly zero playoff games. They will have a great regular season, a disappointing playoffs, and a departing Kobe in 2010 free agency. I'll take the Celtics starting 5 over the Lakers 5 all day long. And no more comparisons of Kobe to Jordan, Jordan would never have let Game 4 happen.

Marbury to start for the Knicks tonight. The Knicks are turning into the Detroit Lions of the NBA.

That's harsh, man. How can you say such a bad thing about Detroit?

Hey, don't be talking about my Blazers that way. They're going to win at least 6 games and at least 1 of them will be an away game. I also predict at least 8 blazers will have trouble with the law.

Which leads into...

If the starting line up of the Blazers are riding in a van who's driving?

The police.

They aren't quite the worst sports franchise in the history of professional sports like the Lions, we've been at it for 54 years and counting. Watching the Celtics/Knicks game last night, there seems to be no change in how they are playing under D'Antoni, it is astonishing...same selfish play, no passing, poor shooting from everywhere, lack of fire, lack of defense, they are barely competing. I think Eddy Curry has actually gotten worse since he's been in the league. What is up with these Knicks?

James Dolan. He's the anti-Christ, or at least the anti-Steinbrenner. As much as people dump on The Boss for throwing obscene amounts of money at players, at least he draws in quality talent, or talent good enough to keep the fans entertained. The Knicks, on the other hand, throw money at mediocre players, they're afraid of any criticism (they fired Marv Albert for god's sake. MARV ALBERT!!!), the front office is run like some frat house (as we've already seen from the much publicized sexual harassment lawsuit), and the only thing they care about is being good enough to get celebrities to the game. For a charter franchise playing in a city that supposed to be the Mecca of basketball, the Knicks are an embarrassment to both the the city and the league, and Dolan is the reason they're such an embarrassment.

I really wish some giant media rival would engage in a hostile-takeover of Cablevision just so they can force the sale of the Knicks to an owner that actually cares about basketball. I feel sorry for Walsh and D'Antoni. If Lenny Wilkens and Larry Brown couldn't save this team, really, who can?

I got my tickets to see Lakers @ Knicks on Feb 2. Booyah!

Isaiah Thomas Overdoses on Sleeping Pills: Report

FOX Sports on MSN - NBA - Report: Isiah Thomas ODs on sleeping pills

Former New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas was reportedly hospitalized Friday morning after overdosing on sleeping pills.

Authorities say an ambulance was called to Thomas' suburban New York home, and someone from the home was taken to a hospital. Various reports say the person taken to the hospital was Thomas.

According to the New York Daily News, police say the victim consumed "roughly 10 Lunesta sleeping pills."

Harrison Police Department Officer Vincent Lanzillotti says an ambulance responded to the 911 call early Friday. He declined to give any details, except to say a person was taken to White Plains Hospital.

WCBS Radio reported the call involved "an issue with sleeping pills."

Barry Watkins, vice president of communications for Madison Square Garden, told The Journal News newspaper, "Isiah is fine."

Late Friday afternoon, a small SUV escorted by a police car pulled into a private road leading to the luxury development in Westchester County where Thomas lives, about 30 miles from midtown Manhattan.

Thomas purchased the house on Azalea Circle in Purchase for more than $4 million in 2004, according to the Journal News.

Thomas was removed from his coaching duties by the Knicks on April 18 following the team's seventh straight losing season. The Knicks finished last season 23-59.

Donnie Walsh replaced Thomas as team president, but Thomas remained with the Knicks as a consultant.

Thomas' troubles extended away from the court last year, as well, including a sexual harassment case with a former team employee and feuds with Knicks players Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry.

It was Thomas' second season coaching the Knicks following three years as the head coach of the Indiana Pacers. He played 13 years for the Detroit Pistons, where he was a 12-time All-Star and the NBA Finals MVP in 1990. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.

How do you accidentally take 10 fucking pills?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...8013351-12.jpg

I wonder if Dolan has seen this...he's made some strange decisions last few years, especially his decision to keep Marbury. It's not like in Detroit where the fans have rewarded the Ford family's pathetic handling of the Lions for decades by showing up for games whether the team is unwatchable or not. NY isn't going to put up with sub-500 Knicks teams forever. Perhaps he is waiting for 2010 free agency, when guys like LeBron, Chris Paul, Wade, Anthony, Nowitzki, Stoudemire etc, will be on the market. Personally I think LeBron will end up a Knick in 2010 (or Kobe to NY, LeBron to LA), Cleveland is no place (or franchise) for a talent like him. Good point about the coaches - hall of famers some of them - if the likes of Iverson and Billups can make such progress under Larry Brown, why can't Marbury?

Hope Isaiah gets some help...probably not the most well-liked guy in New York lately.

Isiah is treating the media just like he did when he was President/General Manager/Head Coach. Throw out 10 conflicting reports, deny involvement in the whole situation, and just shrug your shoulders and smile.

He makes it really hard for people to like him. This is the closest any Knicks fan will ever get to feeling bad for him and then he pulls his media stunt and now we're all just, "whaddya expect from the man?"
-----Added 25/10/2008 at 12 : 09 : 13-----
The problem is that the people who show up at the Garden aren't Knicks fans. They're just corporate bigwigs, celebrities, and athletes from other sports who go there so they can get their picture taken and appear on Page 6 of the New York Post. Management has proven that it's all they care about, so they'll make the team mediocre enough to keep the celebrities happy, while the remaining fans just give up and go to support the other New York sports teams.

If Cleveland loses LeBron to New York, it won't be because NY did anything special to acquire him. They let Boozer sweet talk his way out of there (which John Paxson should've been fired for, IMO), and in the meantime they've done nothing through trade, free agency, or the draft to give LeBron a credible wingman. Ben Wallace is good, but he's getting old and he's too defensively minded. If they want to keep LeBron past 2010, they need to worry more about giving him some help so he's not a one man show year after year. They'll just have to hope that Mo Williams is the wingman King James needs to rule the Eastern Conference.

Tonight is the night! I'm excited to see the Lakers vs Blazers game (obviously). I predict that it will be a very tough game for both teams and I hope that the Lakers can pull it off.

I meant to say win 45 games (dohrk = spongy.... this is my real handle, spongy was just for the tb, but I loved the rest so much I stayed.. I will endeavor to post more and link less), which still might not make the playoffs...


Oden is out 2-4 weeks with that foot sprain.

sigh.. coulda been worse I guess.

Greg Oden's injury confirms that the Blazers are simply cursed when it comes to draft picks.

And the Knicks won their first season opener in.....geez I can't remember the last time they won a season opener.

Toronto Raptors are perfect so far this season. Well, 1-0. Listen, I think Bosh REALLY benefited from
playing for team USA. O'Neal is gonna love Canada (for maybe a year) if someone keeps him
indoors.

Just wait. My credibility comes from the fact that I passionately hate all things Toronto (I'm from
Montreal) and I'm actually excited about their chances.

I'm calling it now.. 73-9 season for Lakers

Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Fernandez... sure the Blazers are cursed.

As far as a 73-9 Lakers season, you can't be serious can you? only 9 losses?

I am serious! The Lakers are stacked and they are playing smothering defense. They have two different offensive methods and they are DAMN effective at executing them. They are deep, allowing their starters to absorb less minutes, not to mention young and spry. Their back-to-backs will be a cinch. The only possible hiccups I see are their 2 games that they play in NO, which are both the second games of back-to-backs.

Sure, in all likelihood, at the midway point you'll be laughing at how blindly optimistic I was at the beginning, but it's not like it can't be done. Many teams in the league got better, but the Lakers got better too. And one team that didn't get better was Boston, their only hurdle.

It's a pretty bold prediction Halx, all I can say is if anyone is going to win over 70 this year its probably the Lakers. How's that for a hedge? ;) I just read that the Lakers signed Bynum to a 4 yr/58 million extension...thats quite the investment. Behind Howard and Yao, he may be the 3rd best center in the league. Pretty nice walking around money for a 21 year old...

I think Boston, New Orleans and maybe San Antonio will win at least 60...its an odd-year isn't it time for the Spurs to win another championship?

The biggest problems in going 73-9 are probably intensity... a few off nights or teams getting pumped to beat the Lakers.. and injuries. Sore pinkie, bad knee, anything can happen during the grind of the regular season.

60+wins is a tremendous accomplishment.

i haven't really started to fade into basketball yet, but the prospect of 2nd row floor seats at boston garden again is a serious prompt to pay attention. the consortium i fell into late last season is operating again this year, and the seats are just crazy. i think the celtics will be excellent again this year, but i am concerned that they let posey get away. in alot of ways, he was at the heart of the team. a very dangerous player.

i thought the lakers were like paper in the finals last year and am not expecting much different from them this year, but i would like to see another lakers-celtics final because it was so much fun hearing "beat l.a." again.

i'd look out for new orleans.

I'm going to say it will be the OKC Thunder.... ok back to reality the Lakers are pretty stacked. I really think the NBA needs a hard salary cap.

take it or leave it..but the spurs never win back to back championships. its their year.

as for a 73-9 season... id like to see that...thats going almost 8 x 10 game streaks.

cant be done. check back with me after the spurs have another ring.

You say it can't be done, but the Bulls did 72-10 (under Phil Jackson) so I don't see how it can't be improved by 1 game.

I didn't say it couldn't be done. It just won't.

Too hard to keep the intensity all year. I predict a few games off for Kobe.. not to mention off games.

Time will tell.

Feel free to ridicule me if I'm wrong.

I will probably just mention that they lost their 10th game .. in January :p