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cactus_bangers · 10-22-2003, 08:30 PM

Okay, didnt really see one up front, so this could be a general NBA thread (seeing as how opening night is upon us). Random basketball issues...

first off.....who's the team to watch this year? im goin with the phoenix suns. who's with me?

inkriminator · 10-22-2003, 08:45 PM

I think, no matter your feelings to them, the Lakers will definitely be the most interesting to watch, Lebron's Cav's as well, and my personal favorite, the Houston Rockets. Yao is ready for a breakthrough season. Or so I would hope. I don't see the Suns as having any center strong enough to even make a decent run at it in the West, although watching Starbury and Amare is definitely fun.

bonbonbox · 10-22-2003, 09:09 PM

Lakers for obvious reasons and the Mavs, they are just fun to watch. Nelly Nelly Nelly.

ReggErving · 10-22-2003, 09:40 PM

I'm biased but hopefully the Pacers, if they can fix theri problems at point guard. Now that they have coach that will push his guys they definitley ccan compete with any time in the East. The challenge will come from the West and I don't think it will be the Lakers.

cactus_bangers · 10-22-2003, 09:41 PM

ink, you're definitely right, the lakers will be the most interesting due to that roster. yao is ready for a breakthru...he just needs someone to guide him (maybe the addition of ewing to the houston management will come into play here)

although damn, amare had an awesome rookie season. his rebounding skill is sure to improve, and between amare and marion, they should grab a decent amount of boards.

marbury is definitely (IMHO) one of the top 5 point guards in the league. he's a great scorer, and incredible at dishing out assists.

the suns do lack a good center and only have a decent 2-guard in hardaway, but i just think they'll turn some heads. plus, i doubt the blazers will have as much success as they did last season, which could allow for the suns to reach 3rd in their division, of course behind the lakers and kings (my personal fave)

Halx · 10-22-2003, 11:36 PM

I disagree that the Mavs are fun to watch. I am a fan of SKILLED basketball and that entails DEFENSE. With that said, the Lakers will be orgasmic this year. They have their running game now with GP and their triangle when they need it, with Shaq in the center. They have Payton, Kobe and Shaq, who are at the top of their positions on defense, not to mention the starting 5 had a combined avg of about 90pts (this is off the top of my head) last year. Let's not forget Malone, whose fadeaway 15' jumper perfectly compliments the triangle and Shaq's inside presence.

I'll be watching for Minnesota to collapse with their greedy star power. Cassell, Sprewell, Wally, KG and Kandi may look good on paper, but if you look at last year, you'll quickly realise that they have the potential chemistry of HCl and human flesh.

The Kings are gonna be a bitchin' team with an upgrade at center. The thing that will slow them down is injury. They ALWAYS get burned by injury. Although I love my Lakers, everybody fails to mention that 2 years ago, in the WCF, Peja was out the whole series. The Lakers lucked out on #3.

About the Suns... they also look good, but if you look at the box score from their loss tonight, (err last night.. depending how you look at it) you see Marbury with a shitty FG% and NO ASSISTS. I think he took his position as a POINT guard literally. Marbury, Amare, Matrix and Penny aren't enough in this league of SUPER TEAMS.

Dallas... same ol' ... there is no D in Dirk, no D in Dallas, and no luck in Texas.

Because the Spurs... well.. the Spurs failed the mutate quite like the Mavs, Lakers and Kings did. Sure, they are an awesome team, but let's face it... they missed out on some good deals that their rivals ended up getting.

Team to watch for amusement: Denver. They got Dre, Carmelo, Nene, and a bunch of "Huh? Who the hell is he?" players. I still think they can be in the playoff race at the end of the season. I don't think they'll make it, but they'll be in the race. And Kiki will get GM of the year.

dylanmarsh · 10-23-2003, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Halx

About the Suns... they also look good, but if you look at the box score from their loss tonight, (err last night.. depending how you look at it) you see Marbury with a shitty FG% and NO ASSISTS. I think he took his position as a POINT guard literally. Marbury, Amare, Matrix and Penny aren't enough in this league of SUPER TEAMS.

I think the one guy on the Suns that might make a huge difference this year is Joe Johnson. He's only averaged about 7 or 8 a game, but he has such a huge upside. Of course, with a clumsy white dude in the middle, they really can't compete Shaq and Lakers.

maximusveritas · 10-23-2003, 08:36 AM

good to see a fellow Suns fan on here. As has been pointed out, its gonna be pretty damn tough for them or any one else in the league to beat a healthy Shaq without a solid big man. One thing the Suns have going for them is that they're young. They have time to build for the future.

Mr. Spacemonkey · 10-23-2003, 09:52 AM

I'm looking forward to seeing the lakers with all the talented players they are going to have on their team.

petergriffin24 · 10-23-2003, 10:23 AM

Definetly the Lakers will be the team on everyone's eye and mind, but I still have to pull for my traveling team the New Orleans Hornets, Baron Davis is sick!!

cactus_bangers · 10-23-2003, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by petergriffin24
...Baron Davis is sick!!

hell yeah with the baron davis love

agentsmith · 10-23-2003, 11:03 AM

Mavs baby! I was disappointed with the Antoine Walker acquistion, but meh...what can you do? Dirk is so the man. The most skilled 7-footer of all time.

Fakers suck and will implode. There's no way those four can work together. As I've already pointed out in another thread: three old-timers (30+) and a potential rapist aren't what I'd like to see in my starting lineup.

Even tho they've been a huge disappointment for the past two seasons, I'll continue to support my Raps and cross my fingers in hopes of a healthy VC.

Carmelo Anthony will destroy LeBron James.

Halx · 10-23-2003, 11:33 AM

such hostility, agentsmith .. obviously you haven't seen the Lakers play in the preseason yet. GP and Malone are more energized than anyone out there on the court. You're gonna have a hard time swallowing your words this season.

agentsmith · 10-23-2003, 12:23 PM

we'll see

gov135 · 10-23-2003, 04:19 PM

I think their is alot of interesting things to follow the whole season long.

LeBron and Carmelo. Anthony has more talent around him, and has played at a higher level. He makes the bigger basketball impact, while LeBron retains his star power.

I'm predicting Detroit out of the East. They did the most to correct their deficiencies from last year (namely - height). Let's hope Darko stays healthy enough to make the impact he was drafted for. This team should be fun to watch.

Will New York win a game?

I think Houston is going to be alot of fun to watch this year. Stevie and Ming (fully rested and with experience) should be interesting.

Out of the West, San Antonio struggles to make the playoffs after failing to address their needs. It's a shame they let O'Neal resign with Indiana.

Should be fun! Go Cavs.

sixate · 10-23-2003, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Halx
About the Suns... they also look good, but if you look at the box score from their loss tonight, (err last night.. depending how you look at it) you see Marbury with a shitty FG% and NO ASSISTS. I think he took his position as a POINT guard literally. Marbury, Amare, Matrix and Penny aren't enough in this league of SUPER TEAMS.

One game doesn't tell you kind of player Marbury is. I had him on my fantasy hoops team last year. He averaged over 22 points and over 8 assists a game. He does it all, and he's the leader of the team. Plus he shoots 80% form the line and around 44% from the field.

Lakers win it all if Kobe doesn't wind up jail, which I don't see happening.

Kings are gonna be a bust, as always.

Mavs play no D. They have waaay too many scorers, and not enough role players/rebounders and defenders.

Spurs will be good, but they're gonna miss David Robinson. He was a defensive presence, and they don't have someone to replace that.

I would love to see the T-wolves have great year. Garnett is a great player, and he finally has a good team around him. Hopefully they can all get along.

Quote:

Originally posted by agentsmith
Carmelo Anthony will destroy LeBron James.

Wanna bet $20 that LeBron is rookie of the year?

Is there even an Eastern Conference?
Nets and Pistons are the only two teams worth mentioning, and they can't compete with the top 4 or 5 out west. So I won't even comment any further.

Halx · 10-23-2003, 05:14 PM

Gov, Darko is 3 or 4 years away from getting good productive minutes. The East still belongs to NJ.

cactus_bangers · 10-23-2003, 08:15 PM

i keep seeing things saying "spurs are so much weaker after losing robinson", or "the other western powers are too great, with their offseason moves". who are we kidding? rasho nesterovic is a pretty damn good fill in for robinson, and popovich will be great this season in improving this guy. and the addition of turkoglu - honestly, this guy could start for the majority of nba teams out there. and the addition of robert horry - okay, i know he's been sucking it up in the past couple seasons (especially playoffs), but that good ol' intangible called "experience" can really help this considerably young team.

who'd they lose? speedy claxton, who had a decent postseason, but where was he in the first 82 games? and by letting stephen jackson go, all they lost was a fairly inconsistent player. spurs have immense starting talent and considerable depth, which is definite recipe for success.

....which brings me to team everybody loves to hate, the lakers. damn, this team has it all: except chemistry. chemistry seems to be perhaps the most important attribute in a team. hell, look at the kings? they have 1 great player in cwebb, and the rest are a bunch of good-okay players. but the core starters have been together a while and learned each other's playing styles, which is why they've been so successful. look at the old bulls dynasty: jordan was always great, but it took a few years playing with pippen, rodman, etc. before they could bring it together as a team. hell, even the kobe/shaq combination didnt dominate right away (i dont think).

i predict the lakers will have a strong start, falter a bit in late december through the all-star break, and come back strong again until the playoffs.

agentsmith · 10-23-2003, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sixate

Wanna bet $20 that LeBron is rookie of the year?

I make that assumption based on preseason of course. We'll see how the first month or so goes then I will bet you 300 hundred million US!!!........pennies....

.......divide by ten......

..million..

I should sleep now......

Kurant · 10-24-2003, 05:08 AM

NBA = Overpaid whining babies.

Who cares, this sport could leave the earth and no one would skip a beat.

mb99usa · 10-24-2003, 05:25 AM

Wow, bunch of west coasters in here.

What about the Nets and Sixers?

The Nets were in the show last year and as far as I know the core of that team is returning. Jason Kidd may be a bit overrated sometimes but the guy does have game.

Sixers are my team so I gotta go with them at least making the playoffs. If you want to talk about fun teams to watch the Sixers have to be included. Seeing Iverson go inside against the big guys is always a blast.

agentsmith · 10-24-2003, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kurant
NBA = Overpaid whining babies.

Who cares, this sport could leave the earth and no one would skip a beat.

I think you're talking about hockey, baseball, or football. I won't say soccer because apparently that sport still dwarfs bball.

Not for long tho!! *shakes fist*

petergriffin24 · 10-24-2003, 06:03 AM

I'll tell you what Lebron James and the way he is shooting so far this preseason that poor bastard couldn't hit sand if he fell of a camel!!

cactus_bangers · 10-24-2003, 07:47 AM

what's scary is when lebron actually fixes that jumper...

Halx · 10-24-2003, 12:55 PM

Why does everyone keep saying the Lakers dont have chemistry?

You people haven't even seen their full team play together!

I saw the big 4 last night... they were a sight to behold. While they were on the foor together for a limited amount of time (it being preseason and all.. gotta play the other guys more) the minutes they did spend together were genius. Swarming defense, blitzing offense (WHO THE HELL DO YOU DOUBLE TEAM?) and the demoralizing trash talk of GP... none of you know what you're talking about until you see the Lakers play.

agentsmith · 10-24-2003, 02:59 PM

I'm a faker-hater so it's my job to say that, but objectively, I still would see some problems with a lineup like that, especially for Payton and Malone.

Granted, I haven't seen them play and probably never will (I would rather sit through a Britney Spears movie), but I can speculate based on the results and boxscore. I'm aware that boxscore doesn't really tell the whole story, but it's fun anyway and gives us some insight as to the outcome.

It's only preseason blah..blah..blah, but bear with me; The Clippers beat the fakers yesterday 107-101 despite only 22 and 24 minutes played by Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, respectively. While the faker four played regular season-like minutes, 30, 33, 32, 32.

There are two points I'd like to make. One, the Clippers didn't have Andre Miller and Lamar Odom, which would've made up their "big" four. I think we all remember how that turned out (same reasoning with the fakers). And secondly, I don't know how long the faker four were on together last night, but the fact that each of them spent that much time on the court (30+ mins) means at least 2 of them had to be on the court for a potentially productive amount of time. I would think the purpose of stacking your team is not to have all your best players together all the time, but to make sure that at least one or two of them are always on while the others rest.

But meh, it's all preseason. We'll see what happens.

Halx · 10-24-2003, 03:31 PM

Man, you're grasping. FYI, the big 4 were primarily on the floor together for most of the 1st quarter and then a little at the start of the 3rd.

I think a more respectable viewpoint would be to SEE them first, and THEN judge. You can root against them all you like, but making comments about their skill or teamwork that are unfounded will only make us shake our heads.

laconic1 · 10-24-2003, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Halx

Team to watch for amusement: Denver. They got Dre, Carmelo, Nene, and a bunch of "Huh? Who the hell is he?" players. I still think they can be in the playoff race at the end of the season. I don't think they'll make it, but they'll be in the race. And Kiki will get GM of the year.

Man I hope so. I'm not a huge basketball fan, but the Nuggets have sucked for almost 15 years now, and I'm tired of seeing it. This is a pivotal year for them, as there is actual excitement about the Nuggets now that Carmelo is here for the first time in years.

Halx · 10-24-2003, 03:52 PM

I also wanna point out that the teams with the best preseason records are usually the writeoffs of the league. So, it moot to compare preseason wins.

agentsmith · 10-24-2003, 04:03 PM

Oh, I wasn't bashing their skill level. I'll even admit that Kobe has plenty of skill, as does GP. It's shooq that has no skill. In fact, he's the focal point of my hatred for the fakers. Talentwise, he's near the bottom of the barrell and every single derogatory comment I make stems from that. It's players like him that disgrace the game of basketball.

At the same time, you can't honestly think that Phil Jackson can keep all four on the court at the same time for long stretches. Even then, there's no guarantee they can work together in a real game situation. It's been said to death, but it's just preseason. It may seem like they can work together now, but we have yet to see how they'll respond under competitive conditions. The true debate here is that I'm betting it won't work and you're betting that it will.

sixate · 10-24-2003, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cactus_bangers
rasho nesterovic is a pretty damn good fill in for robinson

Are you kidding?
He stinks. He wasn't the answer for the T-wolves so how is he gonna fill the space of a Hall of Famer? Rasho will never have one all-star season. He's rotten! He's soft, weak, and unaggressive.

I love hearing all the Laker haters say that the Lakers are gonna stink. I can't wait to see what they're all saying in a month.

sixate · 10-24-2003, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by agentsmith
It's shooq that has no skill. In fact, he's the focal point of my hatred for the fakers. Talentwise, he's near the bottom of the barrell and every single derogatory comment I make stems from that. It's players like him that disgrace the game of basketball.

If you're trying to say Shaq has no skill.... That just shows you have a serious lack of basketball intelligence. Shaq is the most dominent force in the league, and his size isn't the most important factor. If size was the most important factor Yao would be the best center in the League, and he's not good enough to hold Shaq's jock.

Show me a Big man that's as big as Shaq who is anywhere near as athletic as him...... It's not gonna happen.

agentsmith · 10-24-2003, 06:16 PM

I can't name anyone as big as shooq. He's the biggest player in NBA history. There have been players taller, and probably heavier, but no one ever as big. An elementary school player has more skill.

I can honestly say I'm a better ball handler, a better shooter, a better passer, a better rebounder, a better everything than him, and yet, I wouldn't stand a chance (unless we played one-on-one restricted to 18-feet and out) because he's so big and powerful (the only two reasons why he is dominant). But that's it. Take that away from him and he has nothing.

So you, my friend, have no idea what basketball skill truly is about.

P.S.

you're forgetting that Yao was a rookie, and had his moments where he absolutely schooled shooq, much like a Hakeem Olajuwon in his prime did, swiftly and thoroughly.

sixate · 10-24-2003, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by agentsmith
I can honestly say I'm a better ball handler, a better shooter, a better passer, a better rebounder, a better everything than him, and yet, I wouldn't stand a chance (unless we played one-on-one restricted to 18-feet and out) because he's so big and powerful (the only two reasons why he is dominant). But that's it. Take that away from him and he has nothing.

So you, my friend, have no idea what basketball skill truly is about.

All I have to say is...

You know nothing of my basketball past, and I won't sit here and justify my opinion by telling you either.

I'll bet my life on the fact you wouldn't stand a chance against me on a basketball court, and I don't have a quarter of the skill that Shaq has.

PS, thanks for the laugh.

grumpyolddude · 10-24-2003, 08:58 PM

The Gov is right about the east... it's Detroit's to win if Billups and Hamilton stay healthy. Hell, if Billups hadn't gotten hurt, the Pistons may have been the ones to lose to the Spurs instead of the Nets. Chauncey was the hottest player in the playoffs before his injury, and Kidd was very inconsistent.

Billups, Hamilton, Prince, and Okur were all in their first year in Detroit, and Rick Carlyle gave Prince and Okur minutes only grudgingly. Larry Brown likes younger players and a faster paced game. The whole team should be better than last year. Darko can take this year to work and learn... and pump some iron with Ben Wallace... and be ready to contribute next season.

New Jersey replaced one tired Georgetown center with another. Mourning can help Kenyon Martin develop his game, but is he durable enough to last the season? The role players need to improve their game and their attitudes if the Nets wish to repeat.

The Magic act like Juwan Howard is going to be a difference maker. Based on what? Gooden's continued improvement will prove more important. Third in the east is a possibility.

Indiana fans may be treated to a soap opera this year. Artest, O'Neal, and Carlyle could be a great combination, but more likely will tear each other up. O'Neal loved Isaih Thomas, Artest hates everybody, and everybody loves to hate Rick Carlyle (except Larry Bird).

Milwaukee has a lot of gellin' to do. Skinner looks good and Redd has promise.

Boston gained more by subtracting Antoine Walker than Dallas did by adding him, but Danny Ainge has a long-term project on his hands.

Who else is worth mentioning in the east? There's a lot of talented characters (Iverson, Carter, LeBron, Baron Davis) who will play great but still lose, just like last year.

The west? Oh, yeah, there's a few good teams out there, or so I'm told.

Mr. Spacemonkey · 10-24-2003, 09:23 PM

All i have to say to you, agentsmith is that i think it's hilarious to see you using all these pathetic nicknames like "shooq" and "fakers." Ah yes, it takes me back to my elementary school days when i did the same thing.

Seriously though, if you think Shaq doesn't have skill then i think you're crazy.

Jadey · 10-24-2003, 10:01 PM

I haven;t seen anyone talking about my ATLANTA HAWKS baby!!!

Oh, I'm sorry. I almost forgot we suck for a second there. Well, atleast we got rid of Big Dog and picked up Terrel Brandon,...uh, Brandon's contract.

Anyway, a few things I'm excited about thos season:

The Chicago Bulls and the maturation of Crawford, Chandler, and Curry.

Danny Ainge's "new look" Celtics.

Denver and the young studs they have.

Cleveland and the Lebron show.

What will Van Gundy do with Houston?

agentsmith · 10-24-2003, 10:51 PM

shooq is the anti-Jordan, nuff said. And you can try and belittle me all you want. The fact of the matter is, in all likelihood, you wouldn't stand a chance against me. I'm not tall, but I have pretty impressive ball handling skills and a significantly above average jumpshot. I've also been told that I have crazy hops (which I'm usually modest about). Even tho I haven't been on the court for nearly four months, it's safe to say I could probably mop the floor with most anyone who would challenge me on this board of basketball amateurs (directed at those moronic enough to think that shooq even has an IQ).

cactus_bangers · 10-24-2003, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sixate
He stinks. He wasn't the answer for the T-wolves so how is he gonna fill the space of a Hall of Famer?

check his regular season stats last season. very comparable to the admiral.

Halx · 10-25-2003, 12:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by agentsmith
shooq is the anti-Jordan, nuff said. And you can try and belittle me all you want. The fact of the matter is, in all likelihood, you wouldn't stand a chance against me. I'm not tall, but I have pretty impressive ball handling skills and a significantly above average jumpshot. I've also been told that I have crazy hops (which I'm usually modest about). Even tho I haven't been on the court for nearly four months, it's safe to say I could probably mop the floor with most anyone who would challenge me on this board of basketball amateurs (directed at those moronic enough to think that shooq even has an IQ).

so.. what are you arguing again? You think your basketball ability is directly related to your NBA rationality? Heh.

You turned a thread about NBA predictions into a juvenile pissing contest. Congrats.

10-22-2003, 08:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
cactus_bangers Upright	NBA Time Okay, didnt really see one up front, so this could be a general NBA thread (seeing as how opening night is upon us). Random basketball issues... first off.....who's the team to watch this year? im goin with the phoenix suns. who's with me?

10-22-2003, 09:40 PM	#4 (permalink)
ReggErving Addict	I'm biased but hopefully the Pacers, if they can fix theri problems at point guard. Now that they have coach that will push his guys they definitley ccan compete with any time in the East. The challenge will come from the West and I don't think it will be the Lakers. __________________ ...sitting on your bed with a samauri pose.

10-22-2003, 11:36 PM	#6 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	I disagree that the Mavs are fun to watch. I am a fan of SKILLED basketball and that entails DEFENSE. With that said, the Lakers will be orgasmic this year. They have their running game now with GP and their triangle when they need it, with Shaq in the center. They have Payton, Kobe and Shaq, who are at the top of their positions on defense, not to mention the starting 5 had a combined avg of about 90pts (this is off the top of my head) last year. Let's not forget Malone, whose fadeaway 15' jumper perfectly compliments the triangle and Shaq's inside presence. I'll be watching for Minnesota to collapse with their greedy star power. Cassell, Sprewell, Wally, KG and Kandi may look good on paper, but if you look at last year, you'll quickly realise that they have the potential chemistry of HCl and human flesh. The Kings are gonna be a bitchin' team with an upgrade at center. The thing that will slow them down is injury. They ALWAYS get burned by injury. Although I love my Lakers, everybody fails to mention that 2 years ago, in the WCF, Peja was out the whole series. The Lakers lucked out on #3. About the Suns... they also look good, but if you look at the box score from their loss tonight, (err last night.. depending how you look at it) you see Marbury with a shitty FG% and NO ASSISTS. I think he took his position as a POINT guard literally. Marbury, Amare, Matrix and Penny aren't enough in this league of SUPER TEAMS. Dallas... same ol' ... there is no D in Dirk, no D in Dallas, and no luck in Texas. Because the Spurs... well.. the Spurs failed the mutate quite like the Mavs, Lakers and Kings did. Sure, they are an awesome team, but let's face it... they missed out on some good deals that their rivals ended up getting. Team to watch for amusement: Denver. They got Dre, Carmelo, Nene, and a bunch of "Huh? Who the hell is he?" players. I still think they can be in the playoff race at the end of the season. I don't think they'll make it, but they'll be in the race. And Kiki will get GM of the year. __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

10-23-2003, 09:52 AM	#9 (permalink)
Mr. Spacemonkey Wake up Location: Nowhere special	I'm looking forward to seeing the lakers with all the talented players they are going to have on their team. __________________ "I hope that when the world comes to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to." -- Donnie Darko

10-23-2003, 11:33 AM	#13 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	such hostility, agentsmith .. obviously you haven't seen the Lakers play in the preseason yet. GP and Malone are more energized than anyone out there on the court. You're gonna have a hard time swallowing your words this season. __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

10-22-2003, 08:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
inkriminator Insane	I think, no matter your feelings to them, the Lakers will definitely be the most interesting to watch, Lebron's Cav's as well, and my personal favorite, the Houston Rockets. Yao is ready for a breakthrough season. Or so I would hope. I don't see the Suns as having any center strong enough to even make a decent run at it in the West, although watching Starbury and Amare is definitely fun.

10-22-2003, 09:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
bonbonbox Banned	Lakers for obvious reasons and the Mavs, they are just fun to watch. Nelly Nelly Nelly.

10-22-2003, 09:41 PM	#5 (permalink)
cactus_bangers Upright	ink, you're definitely right, the lakers will be the most interesting due to that roster. yao is ready for a breakthru...he just needs someone to guide him (maybe the addition of ewing to the houston management will come into play here) although damn, amare had an awesome rookie season. his rebounding skill is sure to improve, and between amare and marion, they should grab a decent amount of boards. marbury is definitely (IMHO) one of the top 5 point guards in the league. he's a great scorer, and incredible at dishing out assists. the suns do lack a good center and only have a decent 2-guard in hardaway, but i just think they'll turn some heads. plus, i doubt the blazers will have as much success as they did last season, which could allow for the suns to reach 3rd in their division, of course behind the lakers and kings (my personal fave)

10-23-2003, 08:36 AM	#8 (permalink)
maximusveritas Winner	good to see a fellow Suns fan on here. As has been pointed out, its gonna be pretty damn tough for them or any one else in the league to beat a healthy Shaq without a solid big man. One thing the Suns have going for them is that they're young. They have time to build for the future.

10-23-2003, 10:23 AM	#10 (permalink)
petergriffin24 Insane	Definetly the Lakers will be the team on everyone's eye and mind, but I still have to pull for my traveling team the New Orleans Hornets, Baron Davis is sick!!

10-23-2003, 11:03 AM	#12 (permalink)
agentsmith Crazy	Mavs baby! I was disappointed with the Antoine Walker acquistion, but meh...what can you do? Dirk is so the man. The most skilled 7-footer of all time. Fakers suck and will implode. There's no way those four can work together. As I've already pointed out in another thread: three old-timers (30+) and a potential rapist aren't what I'd like to see in my starting lineup. Even tho they've been a huge disappointment for the past two seasons, I'll continue to support my Raps and cross my fingers in hopes of a healthy VC. Carmelo Anthony will destroy LeBron James.

10-23-2003, 12:23 PM	#14 (permalink)
agentsmith Crazy	we'll see

10-23-2003, 04:19 PM	#15 (permalink)
gov135 Junkie Location: Midwest	I think their is alot of interesting things to follow the whole season long. LeBron and Carmelo. Anthony has more talent around him, and has played at a higher level. He makes the bigger basketball impact, while LeBron retains his star power. I'm predicting Detroit out of the East. They did the most to correct their deficiencies from last year (namely - height). Let's hope Darko stays healthy enough to make the impact he was drafted for. This team should be fun to watch. Will New York win a game? I think Houston is going to be alot of fun to watch this year. Stevie and Ming (fully rested and with experience) should be interesting. Out of the West, San Antonio struggles to make the playoffs after failing to address their needs. It's a shame they let O'Neal resign with Indiana. Should be fun! Go Cavs.

10-23-2003, 05:14 PM	#17 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	Gov, Darko is 3 or 4 years away from getting good productive minutes. The East still belongs to NJ. __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

10-23-2003, 08:15 PM	#18 (permalink)
cactus_bangers Upright	i keep seeing things saying "spurs are so much weaker after losing robinson", or "the other western powers are too great, with their offseason moves". who are we kidding? rasho nesterovic is a pretty damn good fill in for robinson, and popovich will be great this season in improving this guy. and the addition of turkoglu - honestly, this guy could start for the majority of nba teams out there. and the addition of robert horry - okay, i know he's been sucking it up in the past couple seasons (especially playoffs), but that good ol' intangible called "experience" can really help this considerably young team. who'd they lose? speedy claxton, who had a decent postseason, but where was he in the first 82 games? and by letting stephen jackson go, all they lost was a fairly inconsistent player. spurs have immense starting talent and considerable depth, which is definite recipe for success. ....which brings me to team everybody loves to hate, the lakers. damn, this team has it all: except chemistry. chemistry seems to be perhaps the most important attribute in a team. hell, look at the kings? they have 1 great player in cwebb, and the rest are a bunch of good-okay players. but the core starters have been together a while and learned each other's playing styles, which is why they've been so successful. look at the old bulls dynasty: jordan was always great, but it took a few years playing with pippen, rodman, etc. before they could bring it together as a team. hell, even the kobe/shaq combination didnt dominate right away (i dont think). i predict the lakers will have a strong start, falter a bit in late december through the all-star break, and come back strong again until the playoffs.

10-24-2003, 05:08 AM	#20 (permalink)
Kurant Junkie Location: Don't worry about it.	NBA = Overpaid whining babies. Who cares, this sport could leave the earth and no one would skip a beat.

10-24-2003, 05:25 AM	#21 (permalink)
mb99usa Keep on rolling. It only hurts for a little while. Location: wherever I am	Wow, bunch of west coasters in here. What about the Nets and Sixers? The Nets were in the show last year and as far as I know the core of that team is returning. Jason Kidd may be a bit overrated sometimes but the guy does have game. Sixers are my team so I gotta go with them at least making the playoffs. If you want to talk about fun teams to watch the Sixers have to be included. Seeing Iverson go inside against the big guys is always a blast. __________________ So, what's your point? It's not an attitude, it's a way of life.

10-24-2003, 06:03 AM	#23 (permalink)
petergriffin24 Insane	I'll tell you what Lebron James and the way he is shooting so far this preseason that poor bastard couldn't hit sand if he fell of a camel!!

10-24-2003, 07:47 AM	#24 (permalink)
cactus_bangers Upright	what's scary is when lebron actually fixes that jumper...

10-24-2003, 12:55 PM	#25 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	Why does everyone keep saying the Lakers dont have chemistry? You people haven't even seen their full team play together! I saw the big 4 last night... they were a sight to behold. While they were on the foor together for a limited amount of time (it being preseason and all.. gotta play the other guys more) the minutes they did spend together were genius. Swarming defense, blitzing offense (WHO THE HELL DO YOU DOUBLE TEAM?) and the demoralizing trash talk of GP... none of you know what you're talking about until you see the Lakers play. __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

10-24-2003, 02:59 PM	#26 (permalink)
agentsmith Crazy	I'm a faker-hater so it's my job to say that, but objectively, I still would see some problems with a lineup like that, especially for Payton and Malone. Granted, I haven't seen them play and probably never will (I would rather sit through a Britney Spears movie), but I can speculate based on the results and boxscore. I'm aware that boxscore doesn't really tell the whole story, but it's fun anyway and gives us some insight as to the outcome. It's only preseason blah..blah..blah, but bear with me; The Clippers beat the fakers yesterday 107-101 despite only 22 and 24 minutes played by Elton Brand and Corey Maggette, respectively. While the faker four played regular season-like minutes, 30, 33, 32, 32. There are two points I'd like to make. One, the Clippers didn't have Andre Miller and Lamar Odom, which would've made up their "big" four. I think we all remember how that turned out (same reasoning with the fakers). And secondly, I don't know how long the faker four were on together last night, but the fact that each of them spent that much time on the court (30+ mins) means at least 2 of them had to be on the court for a potentially productive amount of time. I would think the purpose of stacking your team is not to have all your best players together all the time, but to make sure that at least one or two of them are always on while the others rest. But meh, it's all preseason. We'll see what happens.

10-24-2003, 03:31 PM	#27 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	Man, you're grasping. FYI, the big 4 were primarily on the floor together for most of the 1st quarter and then a little at the start of the 3rd. I think a more respectable viewpoint would be to SEE them first, and THEN judge. You can root against them all you like, but making comments about their skill or teamwork that are unfounded will only make us shake our heads. __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

10-24-2003, 03:52 PM	#29 (permalink)
Halx Please touch this. Owner/Admin Location: Manhattan	I also wanna point out that the teams with the best preseason records are usually the writeoffs of the league. So, it moot to compare preseason wins. __________________ You have found this post informative. -The Administrator [Don't Feed The Animals]

10-24-2003, 04:03 PM	#30 (permalink)
agentsmith Crazy	Oh, I wasn't bashing their skill level. I'll even admit that Kobe has plenty of skill, as does GP. It's shooq that has no skill. In fact, he's the focal point of my hatred for the fakers. Talentwise, he's near the bottom of the barrell and every single derogatory comment I make stems from that. It's players like him that disgrace the game of basketball. At the same time, you can't honestly think that Phil Jackson can keep all four on the court at the same time for long stretches. Even then, there's no guarantee they can work together in a real game situation. It's been said to death, but it's just preseason. It may seem like they can work together now, but we have yet to see how they'll respond under competitive conditions. The true debate here is that I'm betting it won't work and you're betting that it will.

10-24-2003, 06:16 PM	#33 (permalink)
agentsmith Crazy	I can't name anyone as big as shooq. He's the biggest player in NBA history. There have been players taller, and probably heavier, but no one ever as big. An elementary school player has more skill. I can honestly say I'm a better ball handler, a better shooter, a better passer, a better rebounder, a better everything than him, and yet, I wouldn't stand a chance (unless we played one-on-one restricted to 18-feet and out) because he's so big and powerful (the only two reasons why he is dominant). But that's it. Take that away from him and he has nothing. So you, my friend, have no idea what basketball skill truly is about. P.S. you're forgetting that Yao was a rookie, and had his moments where he absolutely schooled shooq, much like a Hakeem Olajuwon in his prime did, swiftly and thoroughly.

10-24-2003, 08:58 PM	#35 (permalink)
grumpyolddude Deliberately unfocused Location: Amazon.com and CDBaby	The Gov is right about the east... it's Detroit's to win if Billups and Hamilton stay healthy. Hell, if Billups hadn't gotten hurt, the Pistons may have been the ones to lose to the Spurs instead of the Nets. Chauncey was the hottest player in the playoffs before his injury, and Kidd was very inconsistent. Billups, Hamilton, Prince, and Okur were all in their first year in Detroit, and Rick Carlyle gave Prince and Okur minutes only grudgingly. Larry Brown likes younger players and a faster paced game. The whole team should be better than last year. Darko can take this year to work and learn... and pump some iron with Ben Wallace... and be ready to contribute next season. New Jersey replaced one tired Georgetown center with another. Mourning can help Kenyon Martin develop his game, but is he durable enough to last the season? The role players need to improve their game and their attitudes if the Nets wish to repeat. The Magic act like Juwan Howard is going to be a difference maker. Based on what? Gooden's continued improvement will prove more important. Third in the east is a possibility. Indiana fans may be treated to a soap opera this year. Artest, O'Neal, and Carlyle could be a great combination, but more likely will tear each other up. O'Neal loved Isaih Thomas, Artest hates everybody, and everybody loves to hate Rick Carlyle (except Larry Bird). Milwaukee has a lot of gellin' to do. Skinner looks good and Redd has promise. Boston gained more by subtracting Antoine Walker than Dallas did by adding him, but Danny Ainge has a long-term project on his hands. Who else is worth mentioning in the east? There's a lot of talented characters (Iverson, Carter, LeBron, Baron Davis) who will play great but still lose, just like last year. The west? Oh, yeah, there's a few good teams out there, or so I'm told. __________________ "Regret can be a harder pill to swallow than failure .With failure you at least know you gave it a chance..." David Howard

10-24-2003, 09:23 PM	#36 (permalink)
Mr. Spacemonkey Wake up Location: Nowhere special	All i have to say to you, agentsmith is that i think it's hilarious to see you using all these pathetic nicknames like "shooq" and "fakers." Ah yes, it takes me back to my elementary school days when i did the same thing. Seriously though, if you think Shaq doesn't have skill then i think you're crazy. __________________ "I hope that when the world comes to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to." -- Donnie Darko Last edited by Mr. Spacemonkey; 10-24-2003 at 09:25 PM..

10-24-2003, 10:01 PM	#37 (permalink)
Jadey This Space For Rent Location: Davenport, Iowa	I haven;t seen anyone talking about my ATLANTA HAWKS baby!!! Oh, I'm sorry. I almost forgot we suck for a second there. Well, atleast we got rid of Big Dog and picked up Terrel Brandon,...uh, Brandon's contract. Anyway, a few things I'm excited about thos season: The Chicago Bulls and the maturation of Crawford, Chandler, and Curry. Danny Ainge's "new look" Celtics. Denver and the young studs they have. Cleveland and the Lebron show. What will Van Gundy do with Houston?

10-24-2003, 10:51 PM	#38 (permalink)
agentsmith Crazy	shooq is the anti-Jordan, nuff said. And you can try and belittle me all you want. The fact of the matter is, in all likelihood, you wouldn't stand a chance against me. I'm not tall, but I have pretty impressive ball handling skills and a significantly above average jumpshot. I've also been told that I have crazy hops (which I'm usually modest about). Even tho I haven't been on the court for nearly four months, it's safe to say I could probably mop the floor with most anyone who would challenge me on this board of basketball amateurs (directed at those moronic enough to think that shooq even has an IQ).