2004-05 NBA thread

[therealronaldo7]

A month in for the Lakers and they are proving everyone wrong.They are in every game they play. Everyone before the year(Not everyone but, the "experts") was saying the Lakers might not even make the playoffs. So ok the Lakers have started out slow but, they have a deep team which will only do good come March April.What they dont have anyone besides Kobe? WRONG. Lamar Odom is doing the business on the boards.Caron Butler is playing valuable minutes. Divac is still a good passer and can still score his 10-12 points a game. Cook can step in hit a couple of 3's now and then. Atkins is doing well also. The Lakers are not a one man team just because they lost one great player does not mean they suck. They lost one great player and got 2 good players and one OK player(Grant,Butler,Odom).
The Lakers are one gsme over .500. Settle down. In the west being one game over .500 will not get you in the playoffs. I think the Lakers will make it, but some work and improvement is needed.

[DevilDave]

A month in for the Lakers and they are proving everyone wrong.They are in every game they play. Everyone before the year(Not everyone but, the "experts") was saying the Lakers might not even make the playoffs. So ok the Lakers have started out slow but, they have a deep team which will only do good come March April.What they dont have anyone besides Kobe? WRONG. Lamar Odom is doing the business on the boards.Caron Butler is playing valuable minutes. Divac is still a good passer and can still score his 10-12 points a game. Cook can step in hit a couple of 3's now and then. Atkins is doing well also. The Lakers are not a one man team just because they lost one great player does not mean they suck. They lost one great player and got 2 good players and one OK player(Grant,Butler,Odom).]

Two notes here...

Is Lakerfan geeked about the man they anointed "Floppy" during the last few years? Seriously? Personally I'd be a bit more optimistic about Chris Mihm.

The current Lakers certainly don't HAVE to be a one-man team. They have a lot of talent. But the reality is, in the second half, in crunch time, it IS a one-man team. Kobe Bryant is calling the plays, and the rest of the team will get their shots only if he feels they need them. It's apparent Kobe's got what Sacramento Kings fans call "Chris Webber disease" - symptoms include a swelled head and a need to hog the ball.

[Fulhamfc3]

Yea the are only 1 game over but, soon to be a good 4 or 5 games over.Their scehdule is weak very weak the next 5 or so games you got the Bulls,Hornets,Bucks,Suns(Good team),Warriors,Clippers.Its true about how Kobe calls the plays in the 4th qtr and they need to fix that and get some other players in the play thats what cost them the game against the Kings.

[DevilDave]

Minnesota has the best chance of ruining the Sactown win streak on Sunday; the Wolves have a great track record of winning at Arco Arena. But if the Kings play as well as they did in spurts this evening, Garnett & Co. will need their A-game to earn the win.

I guess the Wolves DID bring their A-game... 'cause the streak is over. :(

It was a close one until the clocks malfunctioned at Arco with 2:52 to go in the game... unfortunately it was at that point that the Kings' offense and defense chose to malfunction as well.

KG just went off tonight. He was unstoppable.

[dark knight]

Yea the are only 1 game over but, soon to be a good 4 or 5 games over.Their scehdule is weak very weak the next 5 or so games you got the Bulls,Hornets,Bucks,Suns(Good team),Warriors,Clippers.Its true about how Kobe calls the plays in the 4th qtr and they need to fix that and get some other players in the play thats what cost them the game against the Kings.

Sure they may make it to the playoffs, but as a bottom half seed, how far are they going to go riding Cobi's one man show? The problem is, they may end up being stuck in mediocrity for years because Cobi will keep them too good to make the lottery but without a legitimate big man, it's hard to imagine them going deep into the playoffs.

I'm not sure which I would enjoy more -- watching them miss the playoffs or lose in the playoffs to a team like the Spurs. Probably the latter.

[Fulhamfc3]

One man show? The Lakers have a good TEAM. The Lakers have 3 scoring options(Bryant,Butler,and Odom). If you have 3 scoring options and a good suporting team you can get far into the playoffs.The Lakers can easily get a 4 seed. The T-Wolves Spurs and Kings are better than the Lakers but, after that the West is wide open with the Rockets,Lakers,Sonics,Suns,Jazz,Nuggets,Mavs.

[therealronaldo7]

The Lakers can easily get a 4 seed.
I will bet you all the money in the world the Lakers do not get the 4 seed in the Western Conference. You up for it? The Suns are clearly better than you think, the Mavericks are pretty good, the Jazz, while struggling right now, could get it together and with Yao and McGrady, the Rockets could have a chance. Don't tell me or others it will be easy to get the 4 seed. You are dreaming.

[dark knight]

One man show? The Lakers have a good TEAM. The Lakers have 3 scoring options(Bryant,Butler,and Odom). If you have 3 scoring options and a good suporting team you can get far into the playoffs.The Lakers can easily get a 4 seed. The T-Wolves Spurs and Kings are better than the Lakers but, after that the West is wide open with the Rockets,Lakers,Sonics,Suns,Jazz,Nuggets,Mavs.

Well, we'll see how well the "team" that was thrown together pretty recently stays together, especially in the playoffs. I personally think finishing 8th is more likely than 4th, but I'll probably happy either way, as mentioned above.

[Onionsack]

Well this was my where the hell have you been moment today...

I have become so fixated on the soccer scene that today I was reading the Times and decided to see how my Spurs were doing in the Midwest Confrence......to my amazment that Confrence no loger exists there are now 3 sub confrences in the West!!! I must not have gotten that memo..at least they were still in first place.

[ibreak4coffee]

I will bet you all the money in the world the Lakers do not get the 4 seed in the Western Conference. You up for it? The Suns are clearly better than you think, the Mavericks are pretty good, the Jazz, while struggling right now, could get it together and with Yao and McGrady, the Rockets could have a chance. Don't tell me or others it will be easy to get the 4 seed. You are dreaming.

Also factor in the play of the Sonics, which could well last, and you forgot the team that will probably win the whole conference: the Spurs. Also the Kings arent as bad as everyone says, nor are the Clippers. A safer bet would be to say that the Lakers will make the playoffs, considering the Grizz and even the Blazers could turn it around.

[therealronaldo7]

Also factor in the play of the Sonics, which could well last, and you forgot the team that will probably win the whole conference: the Spurs. Also the Kings arent as bad as everyone says, nor are the Clippers. A safer bet would be to say that the Lakers will make the playoffs, considering the Grizz and even the Blazers could turn it around.
I agree. All these teams possibly could be better than the Lakers. The Clippers have proven to be a decent team. Seattle is a good team. If their jumpers keep falling they will be a tough team to beat.

[tog]

I agree. All these teams possibly could be better than the Lakers. The Clippers have proven to be a decent team. Seattle is a good team. If their jumpers keep falling they will be a tough team to beat.

Something of note about the Sonics: this is not just the "win if they're hitting 'em, lose if they're not" teams of the past coupla years. They've won a couple shooting poorly this year.

Yes, they're shooting ridiculous numbers of threes, but they're not just jacking them up. They're getting them in the flow of the offense. This means lots of open looks for good shooters. The three guards in their rotation had 23 assists last night (Allen-9, Ridnour-8, Daniels-6). 23!

The big difference this year, though, is on the boards. They've out-rebounded their opponents all but 4 times this year (including both losses) and have the third best offensive rebound differential in the league. So, even when they're shooting percentage drops, they're always getting more looks than the opponent.

With the addition of Fortson, they're able to have a good rebounder and banger in at all times between him, Reggie Evans, and Nick Collison. That's a lot of fouls to give and a lot of rebounds (the Fortson-Evans combo has been good for 13 points and 16 boards/game and Collison has a sick 15.6 boards/48 minutes).

They clearly won't keep up this pace, but they have bought into the team/ball-sharing concept.

Also, they now only have to go 32-35 to finish with 45 wins.

[therealronaldo7]

Something of note about the Sonics: this is not just the "win if they're hitting 'em, lose if they're not" teams of the past coupla years. They've won a couple shooting poorly this year.

Yes, they're shooting ridiculous numbers of threes, but they're not just jacking them up. They're getting them in the flow of the offense. This means lots of open looks for good shooters. The three guards in their rotation had 23 assists last night (Allen-9, Ridnour-8, Daniels-6). 23!

The big difference this year, though, is on the boards. They've out-rebounded their opponents all but 4 times this year (including both losses) and have the third best offensive rebound differential in the league. So, even when they're shooting percentage drops, they're always getting more looks than the opponent.

With the addition of Fortson, they're able to have a good rebounder and banger in at all times between him, Reggie Evans, and Nick Collison. That's a lot of fouls to give and a lot of rebounds (the Fortson-Evans combo has been good for 13 points and 16 boards/game and Collison has a sick 15.6 boards/48 minutes).

They clearly won't keep up this pace, but they have bought into the team/ball-sharing concept.

Also, they now only have to go 32-35 to finish with 45 wins.
By no means was I trying to take credit away from the Sonics. I agree that they are no just jacking shots up. Things are within the flow of the offense and they are good shots. Fortson, a healthy Collison and the emergence of Reggie Evans indeed have made life easier for the Sonics. This truly is a TEAM. Ridnour and Daniels do not turn the ball over much and are old school, pass first, point guards. I am happy for Nate McMillan.

[ibreak4coffee]

An interesting battle this year will be seedings in the East, which of course is not as deep as the West but no longer "the least". It doesnt look, based on the first month, like there will be many surprises. Of course though, Indiana continues to play well and has a relatively easy schedule coming up before they get their first team back, Detroit continues to be mediocre but will improve, and depending on trades/injuries several teams (Boston, New York, Toronto) could go either way. Based on a series of subjective factors, here's how I see the East playing out:

1) Indiana
2) Miami
3) New York
4) Detroit
5) Cleveland
6) Orlando
7) Philadelphia
8) Washington
---------------
9) Toronto
10) Boston
11) Milwaukee
12) Chicago
13) New Jersey
14) Charlotte
15) Atlanta

[Ted Cikowski]

An interesting battle this year will be seedings in the East, which of course is not as deep as the West but no longer "the least". It doesnt look, based on the first month, like there will be many surprises. Of course though, Indiana continues to play well and has a relatively easy schedule coming up before they get their first team back, Detroit continues to be mediocre but will improve, and depending on trades/injuries several teams (Boston, New York, Toronto) could go either way. Based on a series of subjective factors, here's how I see the East playing out:

1) Indiana
2) Miami
3) New York
4) Detroit
5) Cleveland
6) Orlando
7) Philadelphia
8) Washington
---------------
9) Toronto
10) Boston
11) Milwaukee
12) Chicago
13) New Jersey
14) Charlotte
15) Atlanta


Detroit will be higher than Indiana. Once Ben Wallace returns everything will be alright.

[therealronaldo7]

An interesting battle this year will be seedings in the East, which of course is not as deep as the West but no longer "the least". It doesnt look, based on the first month, like there will be many surprises. Of course though, Indiana continues to play well and has a relatively easy schedule coming up before they get their first team back, Detroit continues to be mediocre but will improve, and depending on trades/injuries several teams (Boston, New York, Toronto) could go either way. Based on a series of subjective factors, here's how I see the East playing out:

1) Indiana
2) Miami
3) New York
4) Detroit
5) Cleveland
6) Orlando
7) Philadelphia
8) Washington
---------------
9) Toronto
10) Boston
11) Milwaukee
12) Chicago
13) New Jersey
14) Charlotte
15) Atlanta
Not so fast with the New York and Washington predictions. Milwaukee, Toronto and Boston are three teams you are overrating. New York will probably make the playoffs, but not as a three seed.

[ibreak4coffee]

Not so fast with the New York and Washington predictions. Milwaukee, Toronto and Boston are three teams you are overrating. New York will probably make the playoffs, but not as a three seed.

As much as I am a Raptors fan, they won't win the Atlantic with all the problems they have. Boston is overrated... they wont make the playoffs and Payton should be complaining pretty soon and divide the team. I dont see Philly playing well all year either, and problems with Iverson could appear. That leaves the Knicks to win the Atlantic, thus giving them the third seed... I hate them, but they always find a way somehow. I bet Isiah will make a trade or two.

I hope I'm wrong, but the Atlantic is a toss up this year. It seems to make the playoffs in that division you may have to win it.

And how can I be overrating three teams that I predicted will miss the playoffs?

[Fulhamfc3]

Orlando could get a 3-5 seed. The Lakers are good enough for 4 they are even good enough for 2 they could win the Pacific. They have a good team a deep team. If you have a deep team that helps in March or April. All of the players are now starting to play team basketball if that stays then the Lakers could get a 4.It was gonna take awhile to start playing good Basketball but, now they seem to have found their game.

[dark knight]

I'm glad to see we now have Metrostriker West. (Just some ribbing of you impressively optimistic guys.)

[ibreak4coffee]

ESPN Insider published its list of the current 20 best foreign players in the NBA. For those of you who dont have Insider and are interested, here's the list. Would be interested in different reactions, because I think generally its correct.

1) Dirk Nowitzki, Germany
2) Steve Nash, Canada
3) Andrei Kirilenko, Russia
4) Peja Stojakovic, Serbia
5) Yao Ming, China
6) Manu Ginobli, Argentina
7) Pau Gasol, Spain
8) Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Lithuania
9) Tony Parker, France
10) Jamaal Magloire, Canada
11) Marko Jaric, Croatia
12) Primoz Brezec, Slovenia
13) Hedo Turkgelou, Turkey
14) Nene, Brazil
15) Memhet Okur, Turkey
16) Vladimir Radmonvic, Serbia
17) Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rico
18) Jiri Welsch, Czech Republic
19) Rasho Nesterovic, Slovenia
20) Gordan Giricek, Croatia

Generally I think this list is accurate. However, I'd put Samuel Dalembert (Haiti) over Giricek.