Which team will take a huge dump this year?

[Findog]

Which team do you think big things are expected from, and will slink to the bottom of the standings and not fulfill predictions and expectations?

Last year it was the Hornets, Suns and Jazz. Which team do you see dropping a deuce in the standings this year? The previous year's standings are never duplicated. I would exempt the Rockets, because they lost Yao and Artest and aren't expected to make any noise this year. My pick would be the Bulls in the East. I think there's a possibility that the Magic and Mavericks don't quite jell after the infusion of new talent.

I think the Bulls will really miss Gordon's ability to create shots for the second unit off the bench. As for Orlando, Vince Carter is a better player than Hedo, he's the kind of guy who can create something out of nothing when the shot clock is winding down and there's nothing there. But Hedo is a better passer and is more adept at creating for his teammates. He's also a better teammate, while Vince can be a prima donna crybaby bitch.

As for the Mavs, I really love what they did on paper and they appear reallly versatile. But their five best players are 29 and older, and the 29 year old is injury-prone and fragile. I think there could be issues with playing Marion and Howard together on the wings. Neither really has the outside shooting range of a traditional SG, but one has to play there in the starting lineup, and neither will probably accept coming off the bench.

[jazzypimp]

Nuggets.... blazers

[lefty]

Blazers if they eat nuggets

[kamikazi_player]

Lakers

[jazzypimp]

Blazers if they eat nuggets

:lmao

Dumb, but I admit you got me! LoL

[Findog]

On second thought, I think the Nuggets fit this bill better than anybody.

[Allanon]

Blazers if they eat nuggets

I had to think about that for a couple of secs. Corny mofo :lol

As for the topic, I think the Cavaliers are going to vastly under-achieve if you expect them in the Top 2 of the East. They won 66 last year, I'm guessing they drop 10 games to hover around 55 wins.

added: Hornets should have gotten better with Emeka; but after reading that article posted today, I'm wondering if there is too much of "we have no chance" attitude in the air over in New Orleans.

[Morg1411]

Sad to say it, but the Thuggetz are the biggest candidate for fucking things up this year. Blazers are a close second.

[JamStone]

Probably Denver fits the bill the most.

But in general, I think the teams that are expected to be really good (Lakers, Celtics, Cavs, Spurs, Magic) will all be good and somewhere in the top 7-8 teams most of the season and by season's end. Denver and its fans probably have high expectations and are more likely to not live up to them than the five I mention above that are all expected to be legit contenders this year.

[Findog]

Yikes:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/part2/091023&sportCat=nba


George Karl
The best five coaching years of Karl's career, along with the following year.

1987 Warriors: 42-40, lost in second round to eventual champs
1988 Warriors: 16-48, fired

1993 Sonics: 55-27, lost Game 7 of Western Conference finals
1994 Sonics: 63-19, lost in first round to No. 8 seed (first time ever)

1996 Sonics: 64-18, lost in NBA Finals
1997 Sonics: 57-25, lost in second round

2000 Bucks: 52-30, lost Game 7 of Eastern Conference finals
2001 Bucks: 41-41, missed playoffs

2009 Nuggets: 54-28, lost in Western finals to eventual champs
2010 Nuggets: ???????

(Translation: You don't want to ride the George Karl Train after a good year. He gets snippy, the players tire of him, bad things happen, he spends a lot of time standing on the sidelines with his hands in his pockets and that, "Look, I don't care anymore, if they want to go down in flames doing it their way, that's fine, I'll just stand over here" look on his face. Keep your guard up, Nuggets fans.)

[Basketballgirl25]

I'm going to say mavericks, just because they remind me of the nets the preseason before they traded Kidd, look great on paper, but won't know for sure till the season starts

[Iceman101]

Western Conference Predictions

1) Lakers
2) Spurs
3) Mavs
4) Nuggets
5) Blazers
6) Jazz
7) Suns
8) Rockets

[redzero]

Western Conference Predictions

1) Lakers
2) Spurs
3) Mavs
4) Nuggets
5) Blazers
6) Jazz
7) Suns
8) Rockets

>No Hornets

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/341/jimj.jpg

[Greg Oden]

>No Hornets

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/341/jimj.jpg

You need to spend less time on /sp/ and more time worrying about Okafor being a lazy fatass who's teammates don't even like him.

[nkdlunch]

Celtics or Cavs

KG = finished

Shaq = more than finished

[redzero]

You need to spend less time on /sp/ and more time worrying about Okafor being a lazy fatass who's teammates don't even like him.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x76/dillonmillon/1237934420006.jpg

[Greg Oden]

>implying the Hornets are going to make the playoffs

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/8105/areactionimage.png

[Findog]

Sportsfag:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/part2/091023&sportCat=nba



Eastern Conference
1. Boston, 62-20
2. Orlando, 60-22
3. Cleveland, 59-23
4. Chicago, 49-33
5. Atlanta, 44-38
6. Washington, 43-39
7. Miami, 42-40
8. Philly, 40-42
9. Charlotte, 39-43
10. Toronto, 39-43
11. New York, 32-50
12. Detroit, 31-51
13. Indiana, 26-56
14. New Jersey, 25-57
15. Milwaukee, 19-63

Western Conference
1. San Antonio, 64-18
2. L.A. Lakers, 63-19
3. Utah, 51-31
4. New Orleans, 48-34
5. Dallas, 46-36
6. L.A. Clippers, 45-37
7. Houston, 44-38
8. Denver, 44-38
9. Phoenix, 43-39
10. Zombies, 42-40
11. Portland, 41-41
12. Golden State, 28-54
13. Memphis, 24-58
14. Minnesota, 22-60
15. Sacramento, 15-67

Final Four: Boston over Cleveland, San Antonio over Lakers
Champion: San Antonio over Boston in 6
MVP: LeBron
ROY: Griffin
Coach: Gregg Popovich

[jb4g]

I see the blazers falling like a rock, expectations are wayyyy too high.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

If the preseason is any reflection on how they'll look in the regular season, Phoenix will take another hit. Getting out rebounded 50-28 doesn't bode well.

[redzero]

>implying the Hornets are going to make the playoffs

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/8105/areactionimage.png

>Implying that a team that made the playoffs injured last year won't make it when healthy.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4972/1254015126783.jpg

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Celtics or Cavs

KG = finished

Shaq = more than finished


Yeah someone who made the all star game last year and was 3rd all NBA is "more than finished".

[nkdlunch]

Yeah someone who made the all star game last year and was 3rd all NBA is "more than finished".

have you seen in what kinda shape he is today? :rolleyes

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

have you seen in what kinda shape he is today? :rolleyes


Probably in the same shape he was in last year (when he made the all star game and was 3rd all NBA).

[Greg Oden]

>Implying that a team that made the playoffs injured last year won't make it when healthy.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4972/1254015126783.jpg

>my face when 121-63

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QwE378dB0Pw/SajkBgqOVVI/AAAAAAAAAA4/a7kM1fe2ntI/s400/dwight_schrute_profile_page.jpg

[nkdlunch]

Probably in the same shape he was in last year (when he made the all star game and was 3rd all NBA).

nope hes like 50 pounds heavier

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

nope hes like 50 pounds heavier


Do have proof of that?

[nkdlunch]

Do have proof of that?

I did until Shaq ate it

[redzero]

>my face when 121-63

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QwE378dB0Pw/SajkBgqOVVI/AAAAAAAAAA4/a7kM1fe2ntI/s400/dwight_schrute_profile_page.jpg

>My face when bust.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/5642/1255752260013.gif

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

I did until Shaq ate it


So that's a no?

[JamStone]

Not that he isn't done or close to done, but since the Lakers' first title with Shaq and Kobe, how often has Shaq come to preseason camp "in shape?" Maybe once at Miami.

He's always fat and out of shape at the beginning of the season. Doesn't necessarily mean he's done. He could be though.

[JamStone]

That doesn't really look too bad other than the Warriors.

Those two Sonics teams won 63 and 57 wins in the regular season and underperformed in the playoffs. While disappointing in the playoffs, those were still good seasons for those teams.

And, that Milwaukee team wasn't really that good anyway. The season they won 52 games might have been the worst conference in the history of the NBA. The only good team in the East was Philly that year. Milwaukee won 52 games by default because they sucked less than everyone else in the East. The following year, a couple teams got better like New Jersey got Kidd, Detroit, and Charlotte. I don't think that was much on George Karl. Plus, Glenn Robinson was a cancer and would have been with any coach.

Not that George Karl is some genius head coach. He isn't. He's still a dumbass. I just think this season will end up with the players tiring of him and he won't care isn't supported by those "second year after a great coaching year" info, considering two of those examples are of teams winning 63 and 57 games and another had very little to do with him.


Yikes:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/part2/091023&sportCat=nba


George Karl
The best five coaching years of Karl's career, along with the following year.

1987 Warriors: 42-40, lost in second round to eventual champs
1988 Warriors: 16-48, fired

1993 Sonics: 55-27, lost Game 7 of Western Conference finals
1994 Sonics: 63-19, lost in first round to No. 8 seed (first time ever)

1996 Sonics: 64-18, lost in NBA Finals
1997 Sonics: 57-25, lost in second round

2000 Bucks: 52-30, lost Game 7 of Eastern Conference finals
2001 Bucks: 41-41, missed playoffs

2009 Nuggets: 54-28, lost in Western finals to eventual champs
2010 Nuggets: ???????

(Translation: You don't want to ride the George Karl Train after a good year. He gets snippy, the players tire of him, bad things happen, he spends a lot of time standing on the sidelines with his hands in his pockets and that, "Look, I don't care anymore, if they want to go down in flames doing it their way, that's fine, I'll just stand over here" look on his face. Keep your guard up, Nuggets fans.)

[Agloco]

Which team do you think big things are expected from, and will slink to the bottom of the standings and not fulfill predictions and expectations?

Last year it was the Hornets, Suns and Jazz. Which team do you see dropping a deuce in the standings this year? The previous year's standings are never duplicated. I would exempt the Rockets, because they lost Yao and Artest and aren't expected to make any noise this year. My pick would be the Bulls in the East. I think there's a possibility that the Magic and Mavericks don't quite jell after the infusion of new talent.

I think the Bulls will really miss Gordon's ability to create shots for the second unit off the bench. As for Orlando, Vince Carter is a better player than Hedo, he's the kind of guy who can create something out of nothing when the shot clock is winding down and there's nothing there. But Hedo is a better passer and is more adept at creating for his teammates. He's also a better teammate, while Vince can be a prima donna crybaby bitch.

As for the Mavs, I really love what they did on paper and they appear reallly versatile. But their five best players are 29 and older, and the 29 year old is injury-prone and fragile. I think there could be issues with playing Marion and Howard together on the wings. Neither really has the outside shooting range of a traditional SG, but one has to play there in the starting lineup, and neither will probably accept coming off the bench.

The Spurs are taking a huge dump......

On the Mavs and Lakers.

[Findog]

The Spurs are taking a huge dump......

On the Mavs and Lakers.

Might beat the Lakers, but you're our bitch.

[Agloco]

Might beat the Lakers, but you're our bitch.

Uh huh. Here's to hoping we avoid you on our way to numero cinco puto.

[Danny.Zhu]

Houston in the West, Atlanta in the East.