tbh, of the West's top 6

[HI-FI]

The good thing is that while the West looks to only be getting deeper, the top-end talent doesn't seem to be getting that much better. And I'm discounting Houston from that discussion for at least a season. They'll need a season to develop some chemistry, and Howard will have to get all that sand out of his clit.

i still think they'll be good though, how good is the question. tbh, they look formidable as on paper, but hopefully things don't gel for them.

if there is one thing that has brought me some solace this offseason, is that for the first time in perhaps forever with the NBA, i honestly don't know who will be in the Finals. This might be the first season that has that NFL feel of parity. Every team has flaws. Even the Heat showed they are very beatable, and tbh, I don't feel confident that they make it to their fourth Finals in a row. So the fact every team has flaws, that teams including the Spurs have a chance, is a good feeling.

and agree on those Timberwolves cheerleaders, i always thought that cheerleader that Kevin Garnett was hitting was very bangable.

[chazley]

Houston isn't gonna be as good as everyone thinks. Harden/Parsons/Dwight is a good core, but the West is really stacked this year. They'll settle in around 48-52 wins, but they don't really have a shot at getting the #1 seed in West. Next to Harden you need a PG who can play above average defense, hit spot up threes at a high clip, and handle the ball well enough to give Harden a rest. Jeremy Lin is a fantastic pick-n-roll player... and that's about it. If you build a team around Lin I like his potential (his monster game against us last season when Harden sat out is an example), but that isn't gonna happen on this Rockets team. Harden likes to sit 10 feet behind the 3-pt line and play with his beard until someone gives him the ball. Lin sucks off the ball. Bad combo. This Houston team is gonna give up gobs of points and probably score at a worse clip. Dwight is a mega-upgrade over Omer Asik offensively, but Omer didn't use offensive possessions, and Dwight demands the ball. Houston badly needs to trade Asik and get something back. Lin isn't going anywhere cause he was a major part of Houston's pitch to expand Dwight's endorsement opportunities to Asian countries, particularly China.