Rummpd
02-29-2008, 12:38 PM
1. Spurs two quality wins in past 10 days including hammering NO, and have the best two man combo in game right now in Duncan and Ginobili and Parker will come on strong. Is it not funny that the same media that was writing off Spurs are again commenting on usual surge? If health holds this team will win the title again. Mark it down.
2. Jazz flying under the radar, but a heck of a basketball team on both sides of ball. Well coached, and still play with that "dirty edge". Win over Pistons very impressive the way they came back. Sure media is just drooling over a rematch in WCF; but this could very well happen if seedings go that way. This year it would take Spurs 6 or 7 tough games to beat Jazz IMO.
3. Lakers - got to give them the props playing great team basketball but will it hold up when they play better teams? The key will be if they can really play lock down defense for sustained periods as in the playoffs they will not get all the easy transition and open looks they are getting. Still an increasingly dangerous team and should be able to take either team above to 6 or 7 games. However, can they get by them? (IMO a year or two away).
4. Celtics - now with probably getting Casell (and righting the ship on a key Western trip) they could well truly win the East. Still cannot see them winning title.
5. Pistons - slipping a little bit but they seem to get up for big games and are a heck of a basketball team that could be down the road the Spurs biggest threat = if and only if they get both Cs in conference.
6. New Orleans - also slipping a little bit but deep and hungry.
7. Rockets - going to go into a fall but they sure deserve props and personally sad to see Yao out. He is my favorite player in league other than Duncan for his modest manner, soft touch in his shooting, and most importantly, for his team oriented play.
8. Mavs - maybe should be higher, but this team seems to be missing something (a PF playing superstar with stones?) and I am absolutely not sold on Kidd vs Parker, Paul or Williams in any playoff matchup and Duncan scored at will on them last night.
9. Cavs - slipped some, but once they gell with new additions IMO can still win East with the top young player in game.
10. Suns - Would it not be unreal (but not really outside the realm of plausibiity the way they are playing with Shaq) if they MISS the playoffs? Could happen as lots of teams will be able to score on Suns with impunity and suddenly their offense often looks impotent with the Big Aristotle in there at least.
Nash also suddenly looks not himself at times (could he be hurt as he just looks slower to me??) and has been outplayed recently by several top point guards including back to back demolishments by Paul. Meanwhile Amare Stoudemire looks even more lost trying to guard PFs outside with Shaq in the pain, than he did trying to plug the middle under the basket. I did not think it is possible for someone that athletic and gifted to play defense that bad but he does so consistently. Having no poor perimeter and interior defenders (at least at three positions on floor at a time) is why Suns have absolutely no chance to win the title. Hey Raja hows it feel to be out there alone truly playing defense?
Looking up, but dangerous GS and that probably over-hyped Denver team (that at times seem to play as soft as their blue uniforms but still has talent, but it seems George Karl again is not the answer - but at least his son, Karl, plays for the LAL).
Also, watch out for the Nets with a motivated and healthy Harris they might be better than with a dischanted Kidd and he can actually defend the perimeter a little bit.
Biggest enigma - what are the Bulls doing? Can they truly believe that Noah is an answer in the middle after getting rid of Brand, Curry (well getting rid of him, the defensive black hole and non-rebounding machine, at least was smart), Chandler, Wallace etc.
Props also to one team that in some predictions was not supposed to win 20 games = playing tough in the East = the Sixers*!
*Especially to Willie Green for coming back from a horrible off season knee injury a few years back and dominating some games!
2. Jazz flying under the radar, but a heck of a basketball team on both sides of ball. Well coached, and still play with that "dirty edge". Win over Pistons very impressive the way they came back. Sure media is just drooling over a rematch in WCF; but this could very well happen if seedings go that way. This year it would take Spurs 6 or 7 tough games to beat Jazz IMO.
3. Lakers - got to give them the props playing great team basketball but will it hold up when they play better teams? The key will be if they can really play lock down defense for sustained periods as in the playoffs they will not get all the easy transition and open looks they are getting. Still an increasingly dangerous team and should be able to take either team above to 6 or 7 games. However, can they get by them? (IMO a year or two away).
4. Celtics - now with probably getting Casell (and righting the ship on a key Western trip) they could well truly win the East. Still cannot see them winning title.
5. Pistons - slipping a little bit but they seem to get up for big games and are a heck of a basketball team that could be down the road the Spurs biggest threat = if and only if they get both Cs in conference.
6. New Orleans - also slipping a little bit but deep and hungry.
7. Rockets - going to go into a fall but they sure deserve props and personally sad to see Yao out. He is my favorite player in league other than Duncan for his modest manner, soft touch in his shooting, and most importantly, for his team oriented play.
8. Mavs - maybe should be higher, but this team seems to be missing something (a PF playing superstar with stones?) and I am absolutely not sold on Kidd vs Parker, Paul or Williams in any playoff matchup and Duncan scored at will on them last night.
9. Cavs - slipped some, but once they gell with new additions IMO can still win East with the top young player in game.
10. Suns - Would it not be unreal (but not really outside the realm of plausibiity the way they are playing with Shaq) if they MISS the playoffs? Could happen as lots of teams will be able to score on Suns with impunity and suddenly their offense often looks impotent with the Big Aristotle in there at least.
Nash also suddenly looks not himself at times (could he be hurt as he just looks slower to me??) and has been outplayed recently by several top point guards including back to back demolishments by Paul. Meanwhile Amare Stoudemire looks even more lost trying to guard PFs outside with Shaq in the pain, than he did trying to plug the middle under the basket. I did not think it is possible for someone that athletic and gifted to play defense that bad but he does so consistently. Having no poor perimeter and interior defenders (at least at three positions on floor at a time) is why Suns have absolutely no chance to win the title. Hey Raja hows it feel to be out there alone truly playing defense?
Looking up, but dangerous GS and that probably over-hyped Denver team (that at times seem to play as soft as their blue uniforms but still has talent, but it seems George Karl again is not the answer - but at least his son, Karl, plays for the LAL).
Also, watch out for the Nets with a motivated and healthy Harris they might be better than with a dischanted Kidd and he can actually defend the perimeter a little bit.
Biggest enigma - what are the Bulls doing? Can they truly believe that Noah is an answer in the middle after getting rid of Brand, Curry (well getting rid of him, the defensive black hole and non-rebounding machine, at least was smart), Chandler, Wallace etc.
Props also to one team that in some predictions was not supposed to win 20 games = playing tough in the East = the Sixers*!
*Especially to Willie Green for coming back from a horrible off season knee injury a few years back and dominating some games!