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Agree. This is the Harlem, I like to see great post! When you are not hating or trolling you bring the goods ...
Fernandez could be traded, if not, he can function as a spot up shooter or go to scorer on the second unit. Bayless needs the ball, but he can function as either the secondary option or, if Fernandez is traded, as a go-to option on the second unit.
Who said Babbitt would play a lot? If Fernandez stays, he's out of the rotation entirely. If Fernandez goes, he's the tenth man and likely plays sparingly (unless injuries occur), giving them another shooter.
I know they are, I just think as a whole they're due to be somewhat healthy and even if they're not, I like the team's depth and size.
Why should the perpetually overrated Mavs be picked over them? With their old ass team and flawed core. I'm picking them 4th because they're a safe pick, but short of a monumental trade, they're not going anywhere again.
A healthy Roy is in Nowitzki's class.
The Trail Blazers have depth.
At this writing, the Trail Blazers are relatively healthy. I'll take that over "Butler for a full season". Butler is a better version of Jefferson at this point, he's far removed from where he was a couple of seasons ago.
They do? Who? Beaubois and that's it. When Beaubois is healthy, Jones will not be in the rotation (unless they bench Barea and play without a backup PG) and Mahinmi has no chance to play barring injury.
I'm not going to say the Mavs can't finish 2nd; they could. As we all know, from 2-9, these teams are close. I'm not saying there's a gargantuan gap between the Trail Blazers and the Mavs.
I'm not a betting man, but I'd give the Trail Blazers the edge, yes.
It's not about me hating the Mavs. I hate the Lakers and you don't see me putting them 3rd. I've just never been sold on the Mavs core and I think they're going to have some unhappy veterans who still think of themselves as being in their halcyon days who are going to be playing less minutes than they're used to.
Size, depth and star power wins in this league...in the regular season, at least. Roy is a top 15 and at his absolute peak, a fringe top 10 player. I wouldn't call him a full fledged superstar, but he's a legit go-to guy. Their size, if healthy, is ridiculous. They're going to dominate the boards and protect the rim as well as anybody.
I like how the Trail Blazers, Rockets and Spurs (though I think they need one more piece; a quality 3+D SF) are built.
Agree. This is the Harlem, I like to see great post! When you are not hating or trolling you bring the goods ...
it's not...but if you expect that team to win 55 games--with a deplorable bench--then they will be out of gas by the time the playoffs roll around. I think N.O. is pretty dece when healthy, but they might have the worst depth in the West
How is the West weak? The top of the East is better than the top of the West, but after that, the West is far deeper than the East. The East goes six deep with quality teams. The West could have as many as eleven.
Yeah Jeff Green needs to be traded yesterday.
If you thought Boozer was a blackhole wait until Utah fan experiences Al Jefferson's defense for 82 games. Boozer is a fantastic jumpshooter and he ran the pick and pop/roll with Deron extremely well.
Agree. That was the ONE part of Harlem's last post I disagreed with.
New Orleans is a 45 win team if healthy and they probably looing at 8, 9 or 10 in the west ...
In the east that is likely in the hunt for 6 or 7 ...
son my personal prediction is 55 wins. I would expect nothing less than 50 wins however. People are really overrating teams like the Thunder in my opinion. good team, with one of the top players in the NBA, but come on. I know this type of overrating all too well ... I remember a few years ago whenever my Hornets won 56 games with a young, superstar in the making PG and impressed everyone in the playoffs ... then the next season we were like a 5 to 1 odds to win the NBA championship! The Thunder are no doubt a damn good exciting team, but injuries happen and their bench is .
I've heard that about him but tbh i've seen more of his statlines than highlights (byproduct of playing for the T-Wolves i guess)...is his D really THAT bad?Yeah Jeff Green needs to be traded yesterday.
If you thought Boozer was a blackhole wait until Utah fan experiences Al Jefferson's defense for 82 games
Regular Season:
1. Lakers
2. Mavs
3. OKC
4. Spurs
5. Nuggets
6. Jazz
7. Hornets
8. Rockets/Blazers/Suns comes down to a tie-break
Home court holds serve in 1st round except OKC will lose to the Jazz
Lakers & Jazz advance to WCFs (Lakers win)
Lakers beat Orlando in the Finals for Kobe's 6th ring and Phil's 12th
Son, please don't talk trash if your team lost like a million points in a playoff game. Also, the Hornets have only been significant for like one or two years. After that, they've become the laughing stock that they should have been in the first place. God Bless son. I'm not hating, just stating facts.
I agree that the Thunder bandwagon is overflowing and the team is faced with unrealistic expectations this year, but having a transcendent superstar who's also the NBA's top scorer will garner such attention
lol son Tim Duncan is the only reason your Spurs are relevant as well because they were the laughing stock of the NBA before him. Not hating, just stating the facts.
-The West is weak because the top teams can't challenge LA, Miami, Boston or even Orlando IMO..the East will have 3 teams potentially competing to make the Finals, while the West will only have 1 team..I also believe it's possible that Chicago, Atlanta and maybe even Milwaukee will be as good as any non-Lakers team in the West..
-New Orleans isn't horrible, obviously hyperbole, but I don't think they're a playoff team..Paul won't be sharp from the beginning IMO, it will take him a little while to get back to his superstar status, which will hurt, since they're going to need him to be sharp right away..I'm not a fan of the Okafor/West frontcourt on either side of the floor..they don't really have any depth..
If Paul is in form from the get-go, I could see them making a playoff push, but otherwise, I don't see it..
-I don't think Utah will be much better, if better at all..
While Jefferson is levels better than Boozer as a post-up player, Boozer is a much better pick and roll big(Jefferson is good at it too, so it won't be a massive drop-off, but Boozer is one of the best in the NBA), a much better passer, a better shooter, and a much better transition big..
He is also a slightly better defender, although you probably won't see a big change..
I think it could be better from a long-term perspective, but I don't see it right away..their system will have to change to fit in Jefferson's post game, they will have to work around his lack of passing ability too..I don't see the chemistry being nearly the same as with Boozer, at least not from the beginning..these things don't work right away..
I also think losing Wes Matthews could hurt too..
son Chris Paul was the MVP of the NBA that year as well so the hype is very similar. He put up 22 and 12 ... that was the first time a player had put up at least 20 points and 10 assist since Isiah "let me hug and touch you" Thomas.
Hornets rule all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 60 wins
son lets not get carried away now ... 55 wins
So, assuming the Rockets are healthy, with Yao and Kevin Martin playing the entire season, we only win 3 more games?
Like I said, they need one more piece, but it's attainable and assuming the Spurs acquire it, I think they can challenge the Lakers. If they could somehow get Posey if he's bought out, they'd be set. I'm not over hyping him, just saying he'd be a nice fit and would fill their need. I also think the Trail Blazers and Rockets are good enough to push the Lakers.
The Lakers are old, have only gotten older and at some point, all of the wear and tear of the past three seasons is going to catch up to them. Whether it's injuries, fatigue, one of the aforementioned teams just matching up well with them, etc., eventually they're not going to make the Finals despite being the best team in the West. We saw this with the Spurs at their peak.
Even if those teams can't challenge the Lakers, overall the conference is still indisputably deeper. The Bulls could be as good as any team after the Lakers in the West, but I'd be surprised (the other two have no shot at that). I like the Bulls, but they need a go-to wing player and more seasoning before they're ready to contend.
Completely agree about the Hornets. Though Paul will remind all the clowns who have forgotten about him that he's a top five or six player in the league.
Agree about the Jazz. Jefferson is not as good a fit as Boozer and Bell is at the age where any season he could fall off the face of the earth. Long term, I agree, Jefferson could be better, but not immediately. I think Matthews probably played, if not over his head, then at his peak last season. Bell should be a fine replacement, short term, at least, though as I said, at his age you can't be sure.
I don't necessarily think that the regular season expectations placed on them is that overblown. They are a great young team who is a threat to anybody any given night. However, I think that regardless of where they end up in the standings they will be out in the first round. They still don't have the experience that is needed to win in the playoffs. But, as the Mavs prove to us every year, being a great team in the regular season doesn't guarantee anything come playoff time.
Top 5 I like Paul but ...
1. Lebron
2. Kobe
3. Wade (in some order)
4. Durant
5. Howard
6. Dirk
7. Dwill
8. Melo (in some order)
Who is Paul DEFINITIVELY better than? Especially coming off injury?
ezau and killakobe81 make sense. +1
Howard
Dirk
DWILL
MELO
no doubt about it.
LOL. This moron a few weeks ago was calling Chris Paul a little whiny . Now he's better then Howard,Dirk,D Will, and Melo
and the Hornets will win 55 and be the 3rd seed lol
Look BR no knocking what Cp3 did a 3 YEARS ago ...
Taking THAT team to a #2 seed was amazing as was his PER 22 and 10 etc ...Paul had an amazing season ...
But Dirk has won an MVP and taking his team to a Finals and the best record in the NBA
Howard has been to the Finals ...
DWill and Melo have led their team to the WCF ...
None of the above is coming off a major injury ...in some ways all are coming off career years ...(Dirk hit more Game winners even though his numbers were down)
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