2004-05 NBA thread

[therealronaldo7]

-I think the Rockets are good on paper,however that doesn't translate to on court success.
-The Nuggets are overrated,I'm not a big fan of Melo or Kenyon Martin.
-The Suns oh I'm sorry I thought that said Spurs!No the Suns are fine just where they are,the Spurs are underrated though.
-Jerome Moiso!Because the NBA likes paying guys for doing nothing,for example Eddie Robinson who just got paid $10 Million dollars to leave Chicago
I've got the Spurs winning it all this year. It is funny though how they always seem to fly under the radar every year. They are tough.
As for tonight, I look for the Timberwolves to rough up the Man City looking Nuggets.
Watch out too for the Bullets, I mean the Wizz tonight against the Bobcats in their franchise opener. I am thinking this will be a bad game.
NBA Pass is free all this week!!!!

[el_urchinio]

I forget who asked, but Keith McLeod was very solid last night, considering that a week ago, he could not have dreamed of starting. This was the first start of his career, and aside from questionable shot selection, he was more than adequate. He had more assists than all the Lakers combined and I was particularily impressed by how he led the Jazz fast break on more than one occasion, resulting in some sick dunks by Boozer and co.

Sadly, he's likely going to be the odd-man out once Arroyo and Lopez return. The Jazz signed Howard Eisley to a one year contract yesterday, and since McLeod's contract isn't guaranteed, I think that leaves him out of the equation.

[Ted Cikowski]

A few questions for my fellow NBA fans:
- Am I the only person who thinks the Rockets are not as good as many people thought they were gonna be?

yep, really they are just as bad as Orlando except for Yao. jimmy Jackson? Since they have Yao that gives them about 20 more wins than Orlando had last year but subtract about 10 because they play in the West. So what I am saying is that Houston very well might not make the playoffs without a 3rd good player.

- Do you think the Nuggets are as overrated as I do?

yes and if you watched Inside the NBA the other day Charles Barkley also thinks the Nugges are overrated and Kenny Smith seemed to thinks so as well.

- Do you think the Suns are as underrated as I do?

Well that's a tough one. On paper they should have been good last year and they weren't. Stoudimire, Marion and Nash make up a good trio but we'll see.

- Why does Jerome Moiso still pick up a paycheck?

who?

[skipshady]

Re: Rockets

People tend to overrate players 1-3 and underrate players 4-8 on a roster. Rockets don't have players 3-6. Jackson is a nice veteran presence, but he's not the 3rd option. Otherwise, they don't have the role players. No playmaker, no shooter, no rebounder (well, Clarence Weatherspoon, maybe), no defensive stopper, no "spark" guy (unless you count Maurice Taylor - heh).

So yeah, they suck.

[Power_of_foot]

One most ridiculous thing ever in the history is that Pheonix bought a player from Japan.
Certainly Japanese people don't know how to play basketball, but how come NBA bought a plyer who is only 5 foot 8 inch tall.
Ridiculous.
If a Chinese player is in NBA, I wouldn't care.
But, a Japanese?
Really hilarious.

[Power_of_foot]

They suck?
How come Japan is not even top 5 in Asia?
Re: Rockets

People tend to overrate players 1-3 and underrate players 4-8 on a roster. Rockets don't have players 3-6. Jackson is a nice veteran presence, but he's not the 3rd option. Otherwise, they don't have the role players. No playmaker, no shooter, no rebounder (well, Clarence Weatherspoon, maybe), no defensive stopper, no "spark" guy (unless you count Maurice Taylor - heh).

So yeah, they suck.

[therealronaldo7]

I forget who asked, but Keith McLeod was very solid last night, considering that a week ago, he could not have dreamed of starting. This was the first start of his career, and aside from questionable shot selection, he was more than adequate. He had more assists than all the Lakers combined and I was particularily impressed by how he led the Jazz fast break on more than one occasion, resulting in some sick dunks by Boozer and co.

Sadly, he's likely going to be the odd-man out once Arroyo and Lopez return. The Jazz signed Howard Eisley to a one year contract yesterday, and since McLeod's contract isn't guaranteed, I think that leaves him out of the equation.
Being the McLeod fan that I am, he does have a guaranteed contract for one year. That is not say he will las the whole year, but I think he might. We will see. He is my favorite player in the league as he is Bowling Green guy and I watched him play a few times in college. Go Keef!

[therealronaldo7]

Some random thoughts on the NBA last night:

- The Nuggets get it together and beat the T'Wolves in a surprise. I was not expecting that to happen. I am guessing we will see the Nuggets play like the stock market all year. Up and down and up and down.

- When did Justin Guarini of American Idol fame get good at basketball? I swear he changed his name to Anderson and is now on the Heat.

- Dwyane Wade is a baller. The Heat looked quite good last night and Shaq was not even doing all that much. His mere presence helps out in a lot of ways.

[skipshady]

They suck?
How come Japan is not even top 5 in Asia?
Hello stalker!

[el_urchinio]

Being the McLeod fan that I am, he does have a guaranteed contract for one year. That is not say he will las the whole year, but I think he might. We will see. He is my favorite player in the league as he is Bowling Green guy and I watched him play a few times in college. Go Keef!

I thought only a part of his contract was guaranteed. I must admit I'm not sure what exactly happened with his contract, due to all the confusion with the Jazz pointguard situation in the last 10 days. Even if he spent a lot of time on the IL with fabricated injuries, he would certainly benefit from a year with the Jazz organization, though.

[therealronaldo7]

I thought only a part of his contract was guaranteed. I must admit I'm not sure what exactly happened with his contract, due to all the confusion with the Jazz pointguard situation in the last 10 days. Even if he spent a lot of time on the IL with fabricated injuries, he would certainly benefit from a year with the Jazz organization, though.
I am 99.9% sure that he did get the one year deal guaranteed with the Jazz. My brother and I got tickets for the Jazz-Bulls game in January for that specific reason. Thus, I think the Jazz have McLeod, Eisley, Arroyo and one other under guaranteed contracts. I think McLeod could be a decent player in the league. He is a good shooter and a good passer. I will be watching tonight as he plays against the Warriors.

[el_urchinio]

You're probably right about McLeod's contract. In any case, he's certainly a better player than now over-the-hill Howard Eisley. Carlos Arroyo is out for about 3-4 games, so McLeod won't be starting past his return date. Raul Lopez, however, is out indefinitely, and might not be 100% for 5-6 weeks. If McLeod can impress Sloan during that time, he'll certainly get the nod over Eisley.

On a unrelated note, it's just occured to me that the Jazz co-captains, Harpring and Bell, are both coming off the bench to start the season. Has this ever happened with a team before?

[NonStop4]

Final Score

Phoenix 108
Philadelphia 98

Toronto 101
Detroit 89

Indiana 100
Boston 94

And anyone who's watching New Jersey...The real Zo's back!!
11 Minute played: 10 pts, 3 block, 4 rebound :D
Too bad Zo' wants out of NJ...

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBpNWZic251BF9TAzI1NjY0ODI1BHNlYwN0aA--?slug=ap-nets-mourning&prov=ap&type=lgns

I hope Kidd and Zo' leave so they can get a ring.

[el_urchinio]

The Jazz steamrolled their way to another blow out victory tonight. The victim this time were the Warriors, on their own floor, whom the Jazz beat 102-80. Utah shot 59% and had 6 players in double figures plus Giricek with 9. Aside from the shaky second quarter, the Jazz looked like they weren't in the same league with the Warriors. They haven't played any serious opposition yet, but the Jazz have looked terrifying in the 2 games they've played. The team is so well-rounded and talented, they don't seem to have a real weakness. With their top 2 pointguards out with injuries, Keith McLeod comes in tonight and has a double-double on 7-8 shooting from the field, apparently channeling John Stockton. Kirilenko stuffed people like nobody's business and Boozer pushed around the entire GS frontcourt. Scary stuff, people.

Speaking of scary stuff, I also caught the Lakers-Spurs game. Kobe wanted the Lakers to be his team and his alone, and damn if he didn't get that, but sometimes, you gotta be careful what you wish for. Spurs easily beat the Lakers at Staples, despite their collective Shaq-like free-throw shooting and in a line you'll hear many, many times this season, Kobe led all scorers in a Lakers loss. I swear, at least 6 or 7 of the Lakers current players would have a hard time cracking the 10-man rotation on a serious team. Lottery pick might await at the end of this season and I honestly hope Buss realizes how stupid he was to put all his money on the wrong horse.

[tog]

I just watched the hapless Sonics kick the ever-lovin' crap out of the even more hapless Hawks.

Here is why the Hawks will be terrible this year:

Atlanta's stat leaders for tonight...

Points - Walker, 24
Rebounds - Walker, 8
Assists - Walker, 4
Steals - Walker, 2
Blocks - Walker, 1

[therealronaldo7]

random thoughts from the Association last night:
- Keith McLeod is a baller. 17pts, 10 dimes. I am biased as I have Bowling Green connections, but this guy has shown a lot in his first two NBA starts.
- Ben Gordon is gonna struggle this year. The Bulls stormed back from 27 down to lose in Double OT. The comeback had nothing to do with Gordon who could not hit the ocean from the Bermuda Triangle.
- Luol Deng is gonna be one of the top rookies this season. His offense, his defense and his aggressiveness are unbelieveable.
- Chris Duhon brought a lot to the table for the Bulls last night. He was a major factor in the Bulls comeback.
- The Suns are real tough.
- The Jazz are real tough.
- The Hawks stink!

[DutchFootballRulez]

the Entire Southeast Division sucks. The Heat are the only formidable team.

[el_urchinio]

Yet another blowout victory for the Jazz, who beat the hapless Denver Nuggets 106-82 in Denver. Carlos Boozer, who at the point ought to just go ahead and change his name to Carlos Malone, had 30 points and 18 rebounds, unleashing a yet unseen weapon on the Nuggets, a mid-range jumper. When exactly he developed an outside game is a mystery to everyone. Kirilenko had 8 blocks, matching his season high, as the Jazz lead by 30 or more throughout the second half. Carmelo Anthony had to spend large parts of the game on the bench for disciplinary reason yet again. He shot 3-20 from the field and almost drew a flagrant late in the game. Bzdelik may not have much more time to turn this team around, which despite the addition of an all-star PF seems to have regressed since last year.

Dwayne Wade seems to have benefited tremendously from Shaq's presence and had 38 points and 12 assists tonight as the Heat beat the Wizards.

Erick Dampier looks like a better pickup for the Dallas than I expected and the Suns are rivaling the Jazz for the hottest start this season.

The Kings, on the other hand, started 0-3 and you might see their rivalry with the Lakers turn into a rivalry for a playoff spot as these erstwhile powerhouses struggle at the start.

[therealronaldo7]

Yet another blowout victory for the Jazz, who beat the hapless Denver Nuggets 106-82 in Denver. Carlos Boozer, who at the point ought to just go ahead and change his name to Carlos Malone, had 30 points and 18 rebounds, unleashing a yet unseen weapon on the Nuggets, a mid-range jumper. When exactly he developed an outside game is a mystery to everyone. Kirilenko had 8 blocks, matching his season high, as the Jazz lead by 30 or more throughout the second half. Carmelo Anthony had to spend large parts of the game on the bench for disciplinary reason yet again. He shot 3-20 from the field and almost drew a flagrant late in the game. Bzdelik may not have much more time to turn this team around, which despite the addition of an all-star PF seems to have regressed since last year.

Dwayne Wade seems to have benefited tremendously from Shaq's presence and had 38 points and 12 assists tonight as the Heat beat the Wizards.

Erick Dampier looks like a better pickup for the Dallas than I expected and the Suns are rivaling the Jazz for the hottest start this season.

The Kings, on the other hand, started 0-3 and you might see their rivalry with the Lakers turn into a rivalry for a playoff spot as these erstwhile powerhouses struggle at the start.
The Kings are brutal. The Suns and the Jazz are good and maybe even good enough to compete with San Antonio and Minnesota. Denver stinks and I am quite happy about that. Toronto is on a tear and as usual, my Bulls are 0-2 and soon to be 0-3 with the Suns coming to town tomorrow night.

[Megatron]

I watched both of the Bulls games over the weekend and although they lost, I still think the team is much improved over last year. They seem to play a lot better and don't give up so easily like last year.Deng really impressed me,he could be the steal of the draft.Ben Gordon needs to get out of a slump,but with Hinrich playing good there won't be so much pressure right away to score.Nocion kicks ass I like his attitude.