Standings and Playoffs:
West:
Lakers
Spurs
ex-Sonics
Jazz
Mavericks
Blazers
Rockets
Nuggets
East:
Heat
Magic
Celtics
Bulls
Hawks
Bucks
Bobcats
Knicks
First Round:
Lakers over Nuggets in 5
Spurs over Rockets in 6
ex-Sonics over Blazers in 7
Jazz over Mavericks in 6
Heat over Knicks in 5
Magic over Bobcats in 5
Celtics over Bucks in 6
Bulls over Hawks in 7
Second Round:
Lakers over Jazz in 6
ex-Sonics over Spurs in 7
Heat over Bulls in 6
Magic over Celtics in 7
Conference Finals:
Lakers over ex-Sonics in 6
Heat over Magic in 6
Finals:
...
I'm sorry, but one of the biggest Amare haters on this board predicting the Suns will slip from 3rd seed to lottery team without him is priceless beyond belief.
The West is too top-heavy and unforgiving to lose a #2 option like Amare and replace him with role players (Hedo, Childress, Warrick) and expect to automatically make the playoffs. I have Phoenix as on the bubble and battling it out with Houston and Denver for one of the final spots. I expect the Suns to have good chemistry and to get as much out of their talent as possible because Gentry, Nash, Hill, Dudley and Childress are all good character guys. I see them winning 45-50 games. Even though the Nuggets have more talent, Phoenix might beat them out on the basis of better on and off court chemistry. The Melo situation could cause all kinds of problems in Denver without knowing the final resolution of his status.
I'm sorry, but one of the biggest Amare haters on this board predicting the Suns will slip from 3rd seed to lottery team without him is priceless beyond belief.
Given your opinion of Amare I figure losing him is addition by subtraction...just saying. You're kinda compromising all the criticism you've thrown at Amare when you predict a team will go from conference finals to lottery without him.
Amare was a big, big part of their success last year. I've never really seen him totally "get it" but last year was about as close as he's come. Whether it's because he's finally matured and became more team-oriented or he was making a big contract push, we'll see. But I thought he was pretty huge for you guys last year.
Childress is not a good character guy, he's a loser who blew in the Euroleague. He wouldn't even have been given an NBA contract if his former agent Lon fat piece of fat Babby wasn't hired by the Suns. Idk why that failure is high character.
Btw my criticism here goes both ways. The people who were huge Amare fans that now act like he'll be easily replaceable by role players are receiving the same from me. I just don't get how Amare goes from a glorified Carl Landry to someone who can't be replaced by role players.
So here's how Suns homers work:
When Amare was on the Suns: he's a BEAST! One of the best scorers in the NBA, the Suns need to keep him!
Once Amare is gone: No good lazy scrub who will easily be replaced by Turkoglu
Here's how Suns haters work:
When Amare was on the Suns: No good lazy scrub who is overrated and gets his stats inflated by Steve Nash
Once Amare is gone: Phoenix is ed without him! He was a great player for you guys!
Funny how it unfolds like that.
Well Amare was never a glorified Carl Landy. At times I wondered which player I'd rather have given the disparity in salary, but there's no doubt that his stretch from January-May last year was beastly and worth a max contract if he does that all the time. But given his injury history and the way he has played an individual game for long stretches, the question has always been if he can put it all together consistently.
Good list overall. However, the Spurs are as of the moment, in the very good category. I have to watch Splitter, RJ, Parker, Hill, and Blair first before I would consider my Spurs as challengers.
I completely agree with you btw, replacing Amare with a committee of role players/sloppy seconds from other teams is a re ed strategy and I hope that fatass Lon Babby has a heart attack/chokes on a big mac midway through the season, I just didn't get why you of all people felt that way.
It's about time that people consider the Lakers' as Gasol's team.
I'd hated Amare's game for many years because I don't think he ever completely bought in 100 percent to what the Suns were trying to do as a team until it was too late. He and Marion used to have turf battles, he had some genuinely bad luck with all of the injuries, and he seemed unconcerned with trying to develop an all-around game and was content to dominate on one side of the ball only. He reminded me of a lot of the players from the nineties that got big contracts too young, thought they were better than they actually were, and never learned what it takes to become a champion, the way you have to sacrifice parts of your game and the glory to do what your team needs from you. It's frustrating to watch these guys like Derrick Coleman and Antoine Walker never channel their skills into something greater than just playing for themselves. Walker was a gifted passer that instead chucked up threes all game long. Amare reminded me of that, not being able to harness his gifts in the most beneficial to his team direction.
He was most physically dominant and at his athletic peak in 2005. Watching him last year, he looked to have regained/retained about 80% of that athleticism and seemed to have grown up and played a smarter game. We'll see if he continues that in New York now that he's got that money. In Phoenix he had Nash and Gentry to be the leaders of the team. In New York all eyes will be on him as a #1 option trying to carry that franchise and make them relevant again.
Losing Gentry IMO was more important than losing Nash. He's a great offensive player who will produce on that side of the court regardless of who the PG is, no longer having the one coach that got him to play defense will hurt him a lot.
West:
Lakers
Thunder
Jazz
Mavs
Spurs
Blazers
Rockets
Nuggs
East:
Heat
Celtics
Bulls
Magic
Bucks
Hawks
Bobcats
Knicks
I don't understand the fascination with Utah..
I feel our bench is much improved, but we haven't really addressed the wing position nor the collective defensive decline of losing a top defender like Bowen and Duncan effectiveness anchoring the paint. In a nuts , I just don't see this team being defensively better than last season, and that's not realistically enough to go all the way.
Obviously, it's a long season, trades can happen, and so we'll see what we look like come March...
1. LA
2. Dallas
3. Portland
4. Oklahoma City
5. San Antonio
6. Utah
7. Houston
8. Phoenix
1. Miami
2. Orlando
3. Boston
4. Chicago
5. Milwaukee
6. Atlanta
7. New York
8. Philadelphia
IMO
1. La
2. Okc
3. Pho
4. Dal
5. Utah
6. Por
7. Sa
8. Den
I already know how this season is gonna play out. Dallas will meticulate their way through February, then string together a bunch of quality regular season wins in March, be on a crash course with LA in the 2nd/3rd round but flame out vs the Kings or something in the 1st
y u people talkin like this. we already won. we throw a big ass mofo parade were they play my music. It was all on tv for jesuses sake. You know wat im sayin? is ova!
I really could care less as long as that Larry O. stays in Lipstick City. , I have no problem saying Kobe's 1a and Gasol's 1b.It's about time that people consider the Lakers' as Gasol's team.
By the way Laker Organization, that 2010 parade was pretty wack. Y'all better get some fundage in this so it can be like to 2009 parade and rally.
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