2009-10 NBA Discussion Thread [R]

[rokstedy]

For all you Lakers, Clippers (woot woot) or other NBA team fans, this thread is for you.

Tonight's the season opener and it's the Clippers at Lakers on TNT. The anticipated debut of Blake Griffin has been delayed because he's out with a stress fracture in his knee and may be out for up to 6 weeks. I was really looking forward to him playing after seeing what he did in pre-season. He has a great work ethic and has enthusiasm to get the Clippers out of the funk. I suppose it's best it happened now rather than later. Not to worry too much because the Clippers have a pretty deep bench this season. I have a feeling the Clips will make the playoffs this year.

For the Lakers, their goal will be to repeat as NBA champs. Can they do it with Ron Artest? Will he gel or will he disrupt team chemistry? Will he make the management forget about Trevor Ariza or regret not keeping him?

[profiled]

Clippers curse of injuries strikes again...

You're right the most interesting thing in the western conference is going to be whether Artest turns into Ron Ron and ends up choking Kobe bryant or Braking Phil's artificial hip again.

I don't think Shaq's going to help much in Cleveland, and I think Boston is going to be plagued by injuries and die off near the end of the year.

The magic aren't going to be as good, Carter is good, but he doesn't have the same apparent magic has Hedo did.

More of the same old same old this year.

[jmaestro]

A few points:

1. Blake Griffin's body started breaking down the instant the Clippers picked him. It's a rule of physics and happens at the molecular level. Poor guy. He's a great talent, and if he can stay healthy, it's actually a good team for him to be playing on. They have a lot of nice pieces this year.

2. I am so excited about the Lakers' season. As a fan, I am happy we won last year and hopeful about this year (although Artest is a downgrade from Ariza) although not at all confident we can repeat. Spurs are really improved this year, and that's going to be a problem. But the reason I am really excited is my #3 point.....

3. This year has the potential to be the wackiest Lakers season ever, and that's saying something for Los Angeles. Ron Artest is certified NUTS. He's actually calling Kobe by the name "Black Mamba" in the media, probably the ONLY person in the entire world doing that, he got Lamar Odom married off to Khloe Kardashian in less than a month after introducing them at a bar, he went to San Diego and said that he thought they should get a baseball team WHILE wearing a Padres hat (that he had apparently just been given it, and he 'liked the lettering' on it). Mix in Bynum's fragile mental state, the fact that Kobe is a combination of crazy/unstoppable/arrogant and is pretending to be a great teammate while really being a terrible one, Phil Jackson is basically a glorified babysitter who is only coaching to try and take the "greatest of all time" tag for Red Auerbach, and then add into it that Fisher is getting too old and we don't really have a point guard to distribute the ball to all the egomaniacs on the team.....wow. You think Odom is going to be a happy 6th man this year? When he's spitting out quotes about how he and Khloe will have kids someday because "that's what Kings and Queens do"? This season is going to be a circus. Oh, and also, no outside shooters this year worth mentioning. There are going to be some CRAZY stories out of LA this year. Anything is possible. Sky is the limit. The only thing that could make it crazier is if LA picks up Stephen Jackson when he forces his way out of Golden State. I am seriously excited for this train-wreck. And it's still possible that they'll click together, go on a tear, and destroy the league. It's impossible to know.

[rokstedy]

I don't think Shaq's going to help much in Cleveland


Cavs will probably go to the playoffs but nothing more.

As for tonight's game, I don't expect the Clips to win but I do foresee a closer game than last year's season opener. IF the Clips can stay healthy, they're playoff bound.

[rokstedy]

Lakers 99, Clippers 92

Clips did not play that well but kept it close. Erasing a 15 point deficit and cutting it to 1 point deficit at the end of the 3rd was amazing. Baron Davis had an awful night but I was pleased to see the production from the bench. Turnovers killed the Clips and you cannot do that against a good team like the Lakers. I remain optimistic for now.

[Sean...]

As a neutral in the game, I was pulling for the Clippers. They have really good players but have shit luck when it comes to injurues(Camby etc. last year, Griffin this year). I think they have a decent shot at 2nd in the Pacific, Golden State are in a shambles, Sacramento are poor and who knows what to make of Phoenix right now.

Speaking of team's that no one knows what to make of, my team, the Knicks, start their season tonight.

[jmaestro]

Speaking of team's that no one knows what to make of, my team, the Knicks, start their season tonight.

Ahhh....no, actually, we do know. They will be terrible again. Bad mix of players, cap space shot....pretty much another disaster year. Which is really sad considering they are such a proud franchise. I'd like to see them clean house thoroughly and get a fresh start. Problem is, they keep trying to do that, and still end up with no cap space. I don't think they have any plan at all about how to build their team in the next few years.

[Sean...]

Ahhh....no, actually, we do know. They will be terrible again. Bad mix of players, cap space shot....pretty much another disaster year. Which is really sad considering they are such a proud franchise. I'd like to see them clean house thoroughly and get a fresh start. Problem is, they keep trying to do that, and still end up with no cap space. I don't think they have any plan at all about how to build their team in the next few years.

I think we'll take a few people by surprise and make the play-offs. But yeah, this season is all about waiting for next season. With the way this years' contracts are shaped, a huge free-agent will land in NY next summer, I just wouldn't be so sure that it'll be LBJ like the franchise wants. And I'll be pissed too if David Lee gets traded for further free-up sapce, the guy's an All-Star caliber PF, current face of the franchise and gets treated like a back-up point guard by the FO. But that's off the court, I liked what D'Antoni did last season and there's potential. Now that the Marbury era is done with, Robinson, Chandler and Lee are a good young-ish nucleus and Al Harrington has the potential to put up 30 a night if he's on his game. I'm looking forward to seeing what Mike cna get out of Galinari, he shows flashes but was pretty poor last year.

[jmaestro]

I think we'll take a few people by surprise and make the play-offs. But yeah, this season is all about waiting for next season. With the way this years' contracts are shaped, a huge free-agent will land in NY next summer, I just wouldn't be so sure that it'll be LBJ like the franchise wants. And I'll be pissed too if David Lee gets traded for further free-up sapce, the guy's an All-Star caliber PF, current face of the franchise and gets treated like a back-up point guard by the FO. But that's off the court, I liked what D'Antoni did last season and there's potential. Now that the Marbury era is done with, Robinson, Chandler and Lee are a good young-ish nucleus and Al Harrington has the potential to put up 30 a night if he's on his game. I'm looking forward to seeing what Mike cna get out of Galinari, he shows flashes but was pretty poor last year.

Yeah, the best thing going right now is D'Antoni. If management will let him build his team, you guys will be all right. If they try to interfere too much, you may have a problem. I'd be a bit surprised if the Knicks made the playoffs this year, but it's always possible if D'Antoni gets the team runnin' and gunnin' the way he likes. Hopefully what will happen this year is that D'Antoni will work out which players to keep, which to dump, and have a good idea of the player or players he wants to bring in with the cap space in summer of 2010.

[rokstedy]

Phoenix 109, Clippers 107

*sigh*

The Clips played better tonight with Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman scoring monster points but missed FT's played a factor here & the Clips missed a lot tonight. Make those and the Clips would've had their first win. But it's seems impossible to contain Steve Nash. His game-winning basket was incredible. I've always liked his game. Clips had a chance to win it or at least tie but Eric Gordon's 3-point attempt fell short but it seem like he was trying to draw the foul. Nah, you gotta be like Rasual Butler earlier and just shoot that rock.

80 more games to go.

[rokstedy]

Both LA teams lost last night.

Clippers actually were pulling even with the Jazz at Utah until 4th quarter meltdown let Utah run away with a 13 point win.

Lakers had a big off night losing to the Mavericks at home. Dunno what it was but Kobe and Co. did not shoot well and Mavs looked unstoppable.

Mavs stay in LA to face the Clips tonight.

[jmaestro]

I've got a bet with a friend from Oregon about whether the Lakers or Blazers will finish the year with the better record. Playoff tickets riding on it, and it looks like it might be close. The Blazers are tough, young, and play great defense, while the Lakers might not starting putting out maximum effort until about the 2nd round of the playoffs.

[Soccer Obsession]

I've got a bet with a friend from Oregon about whether the Lakers or Blazers will finish the year with the better record. Playoff tickets riding on it, and it looks like it might be close. The Blazers are tough, young, and play great defense, while the Lakers might not starting putting out maximum effort until about the 2nd round of the playoffs.

He made this bet with you, without a spread or anything? I would have asked for Blazers +5.5 or something if I were him. You'll win that easily.

I think the Lakers are really just missing Pau right now. He is often overlooked, and people don't realize how important he is. The Lakers are a far worse team without him, his absence screws up the whole rotation. He needs to get back soon.

[jmaestro]

He made this bet with you, without a spread or anything? I would have asked for Blazers +5.5 or something if I were him. You'll win that easily.

I think the Lakers are really just missing Pau right now. He is often overlooked, and people don't realize how important he is. The Lakers are a far worse team without him, his absence screws up the whole rotation. He needs to get back soon.

He really thinks the Blazers are going to win 65 games this year, so yeah, straight up. The only way I lose is if the Lakers just dog it the whole year, which is somewhat possible.

You're right about Pau, though---he's turned into the glue on that team, does all the little things, 100% effort, and make the offense flow. They need him back.

[Sean...]

Knicks finally won a game last night, against the Hornets, possibly their most difficult opponent yet. The defense is still awful, but as long as Lee and Harrington continue to put up big numbers, there's always a chance of pulling out a win, especially when others step-up(Duhon etc.). Speaking of others on the team, Gallinari has shown glimpses this last week of what's to come. D'Antoni calling him "the best shooter I've ever seen" prior to last year's draft might not be all that far-fetched after all.



Clipper finally won too, deservedly.

[rokstedy]

I think the Lakers are really just missing Pau right now. He is often overlooked, and people don't realize how important he is. The Lakers are a far worse team without him, his absence screws up the whole rotation. He needs to get back soon.

I've argued with my Lakers friends that Gasol should've got MVP, not Kobe. Gasol was the missing piece to a championship season.

Clipper finally won too, deservedly.

Don't know if they deserved it. A 3rd quarter meltdown and I was thinking "Just like against Dallas". This time they eked out a win; it was not pretty.

[profiled]

The Mavericks and Dirk went insane in the 4th quarter last night. They scored 52 points in the 1st three quarters, then scored 44 in the 4th quarter, Dirk getting 29 of his 40 points there... He was unstoppable, a lot like the Mavs looked against the Lakers last week.

They're still missing Josh Howard, and if they can keep up the energy and can avoid extended periods of offensive funk the might be able to do some damage in the West this year.

[rokstedy]

Clips won huge at Golden State 118-90. Eric Gordon and Baron Davis each had 25 pts. and Kaman added 22. I hope Kaman keeps those numbers up; he'll be a force to reckon with. Granted the win was against the Warriors and they were missing a couple of key players, but to win in this fashion should boost the Clips confidence more.

[Soccer Obsession]

Lakers keep getting ugly wins, but they're wins. We'll take it. No bynum or Pau tonight, but kobe takes up the slack with his like 5th 40pt game of the year. Only guy in the L who can have quiet 40pt games. Wins are wins. We need Bynum and Gasol back ASAP though.

[rokstedy]

My Clips are on a two game losing streak, losing huge to New Orleans on Monday and a narrow loss to OKC which could've been won if not for poor 4th quarter shooting and/or a costly turnover by Kaman in the dying seconds.

Lakers taking on the Suns right now. Should be exciting.