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That's...interesting.
1. West Playoff Forecast: Thunder In, Spurs Out
By Tim Legler
ESPN.com
http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/p...3/seeding-west
Four weeks of action in the 2009-10 NBA season have given us a good outline of how this season might play out. In fact, I've changed my projection of how I initially saw the field of playoff teams in the West.
The Dallas Mavericks in particular have moved up. This is a team playing with a lot of energy, getting guys to buy into roles. Notably, Jason Kidd has transformed himself into a consistent 3-point shooter, something you couldn't say about him in his last year in New Jersey. That shooting has helped open up the offense and spread the floor.
On the downside, the San Antonio Spurs have looked so disinterested, they actually moved out of the playoffs. I thought the additions of Richard Jefferson and DeJuan Blair would give them some energy, along with Manu Ginobili being healthy (he's not). But the Spurs, who moved back to .500 with a win Monday over Milwaukee, have not played with a whole lot of passion. Still, we've learned not to write the final book on them until spring.
Come April, here's how I see the Western Conference playoff seeds playing out 1 to 8:
1. Los Angeles Lakers -- When Andrew Bynum is playing this well, this Lakers team is scary. Complacency is the only thing that keeps them from challenging 65-70 wins. Clearly the best in the West.
2. Dallas Mavericks -- They've been a nice surprise when this could have been a team headed in the opposite direction. They've played good defense. Dirk Nowitzki has been one of the 2 or 3 best fourth-quarter players this year. The Mavs have done a good job spreading around the job of helping him carry the scoring load, sometimes Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, J.J. Barea, Kidd and others. This team is playing with a lot more energy than it did a year ago.
3. Phoenix Suns -- Good to see the Suns back to being themselves. I understand that you need to be able to compete when the game slows down in playoff basketball -- but that doesn't matter if you don't make the playoffs in the first place.
So the Suns are back to letting Steve Nash make great decisions and pick an opponent apart better than anybody. The team has had some unexpected contributions from Channing Frye, solid play from Grant Hill while Jason Richardson has just been great.
They finally got back to who they were: Nash and Amare Stoudemire in the middle of the floor, running the pick-and-roll, surrounded by 3-point shooters outside.
4. Denver Nuggets -- Carmelo Anthony is in the best shape of his life, and looks to be more committed to winning than at any point in his career. He's taken on a leadership role. It's much easier to to get role players to follow when the best player sets the tone.
5. Portland Trail Blazers -- An improving team whose key will be continuing to get consistent play from Greg Oden, who had a big night Monday in the win over Chicago. He needs to be a guy who finishes around the rim (he's shooting an NBA-best 64 percent from the field) and is a deterrent at the other end. He's off to a good start.
6. Houston Rockets -- If you looked up the word "team" in the dictionary, you would find the Rockets. They take off fewer plays than anybody else in the league. They have very few blown assignments. On offense, it's going to be a struggle to score. Coach Rick Adelman keeps his fingers crossed that somebody will get hot.
Trevor Ariza has more than lived up to what was expected (18.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists) to earn his money. With Tracy McGrady's injury history, if I'm Adelman I coach the team like T-Mac's is not going to be there.
7. Utah Jazz -- The Jazz are playing their best ball of the season now. However, until they learn to win on the road in a good team's arena, we can't take them seriously as a contending team, even with the talent they have. You must win on the road.
8. Oklahoma City Thunder -- Their day is coming. Russell Westbrook was my preseason pick to be a breakout player. Kevin Durant will be a scoring champ one day. James Harden has come in and done a good job as a rookie in the sixth-man role.
This team looks like they're having lots of fun playing together. They have the parts to become the next formidable team to rise in the West, whether it's this season or next.
ESPN analyst Tim Legler is a regular contributor to the Daily Dime.
Somebody missing Tim? You seriously think the Spurs won't make the playoffs at all?
That's...interesting.
Because playing with passion in November has done wonders for the Mavs in the past. Legler is an idiot.
Didn't you get the memo that championships are won in November?
Legler has a reputation for a reason. I wonder who's stupid enough to pay him for his brain farts and why.
Whatever respect Legler had left as an analyst is gone now. Good job, Legs.
As long as we was talking all good things about spurs he was great and not near being an idiot, right?
Not in the slightest. Unless you can find a post of mine praising Legler for saying good things about the Spurs you might as well just shut the up.Thanks.
Ah, Legler, you spoke waaaaaay too soon.
Let's dig this thread up in April and SPAM that er's email.
so what does this mean? Tank the season?
So sensitive
It was a bit over the top, sorrySo sensitive
It's all cool
I even likes it better when spurs are out of the picture. many ppl were hyped up about spurs additions but now we need to face reality. Pop is not an instant coach, he makes processes which takes a lot of time for players to adapt, when they click it;s fantastic but when they don't all will fall and we are doomed
Yes you're right, it's been like that in all of our le winning seasons, so projecting the Spurs out of the playoffs after a 6:6 start is idiotic and every fan with an ounce of basketball knowledge knows it. Last year, after the poor start, Hollinger was projecting the Spurs out of the playoffs, but even he admitted that the assessment was based purely on the numbers from the first few games, which did not represent the correct state of the team.It's all cool
I even likes it better when spurs are out of the picture. many ppl were hyped up about spurs additions but now we need to face reality. Pop is not an instant coach, he makes processes which takes a lot of time for players to adapt, when they click it;s fantastic but when they don't all will fall and we are doomed
I said Legler had a bad reputation because he can't do a serious research/article/assessment without inserting this Spurs team in the playoffs, some of his other work suggests he's not one of the most knowledgeable analysts and I'm sure most people would agree with this. In this article he's just stirring , trying to sound clever and all that, failing miserably. I doubt he'd make a bet on whether the Spurs or the Thunder would be in/out of the playoffs, but then widely recognised bull and knowing all has hardly stopped him from spewing his takes, hasn't it.
Last year Hollinger, this year Legler.
At least Hollinger's early season estimates were just the results of a set of calculations. No personal analysis was involved.
Legler's making a much more subjective judgment based primarily on a perceived lack of passion and energy. Makes you wonder which parts of which games he has actually watched.
Spurs not in the Playoffs?
no, he was an idiot before too. just coincidentally right at times.
My only hope is he was basing it on TODAY's results, and not the future expected results where the Spurs actually 'click' and start their usual climb up the rankings...
But to leave them out of the playoffs is just plain nutjob crazy.
Only way that happens is .... well, you know - and i ain't jinxing it.
Someone needs to slap Legler.
He just took all current standings and rearranged them. Talk about lazy.
I don't think he actually watches Spurs games, because from what I can tell, Spurs are actually picking up energy with the last 3-4 games. They're playing better defense and playing better as a team. And yes, it's only 12 games into their season.
But it shouldn't surprised anyone he doesn't watch the games, this is nothing new. If the networks actually put more of the games on TV outside of south Texas maybe people would watch them. Oh well. Spurs play better under the radar.
i call this re ed
Good... less people in the bandwagon. Let's fly under the radar...
Kinda what I was thinking. But he'll change his mind between now and then. Most fly by the seat of your pants people do.Ah, Legler, you spoke waaaaaay too soon.
Let's dig this thread up in April and SPAM that dude's email.
This is the same guy who initially predicted that the Spurs would meet Boston in the NBA Finals. Now we're expected to believe he's predicted the Spurs wont even make the playoffs? Amazing.
C'mon, more props for my SPAM joke, pulease...
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