2007-2008 NBA Thread

[Clawson]

Man, I'm reading some columns (and Bill Simmons this goes towards you the most) and they're saying the Raptors are a lottery team. That crow is gonna taste good.

[sahyder1]

Man, I'm reading some columns (and Bill Simmons this goes towards you the most) and they're saying the Raptors are a lottery team. That crow is gonna taste good.

[Guest wwebone]

And just about everyone looks past a Cleveland team. AGAIN!

I have no doubt in my mind that the Cavs will make it to the Finals again this year. Hell, this may even be the year where they win it all.

[naiwf]

If you want to know why no one's picking the Cavs it could be any of the following.

1) Cleveland's gotten worse since the end of last year with Sideshow Bob sitting out due to a ridiculous contract dispute. He's not worth $10 million per.

2) Boston's gotten better by adding KG and Ray Allen.

3) Chicago could end up landing Kobe pretty soon, which would no doubt make them the favorites in the East.

4) New Jersey got better simply because Krstic is back.

All of those things point to Cleveland struggling to even make it to the ECF and I didn't even mention potential playoff teams with a shot to knock off the Cavs like Detroit, Miami, Orlando, Toronto or even a healthy Washington squad.

Edited October 31, 2007 by naiwf

[ROZAY]

Some good games last night. I think Kobe going to Chicago would be quite refreshing for him, and gives the Bulls that star that they've been looking for since the Jordan era. We'll see how much the trade talk heats up depending on the Lakers start for this season. Kobe putting up 45 wasn't bad, and in fact, I think it was simply a showcase to all the teams looking to court number 24.

Am I the only one who hates watching the Spurs? Good god, they're probably one, if not the best all-around team in the NBA, but I need some personality to get through their games. Wonder what the outcome would've looked like if Greg Oden had made his debut, but meh.

Didn't catch Utah/GSW, but I guess it was more of their match-up from the playoffs, given the score.

As for predictions for tonight's games...

I'll take Toronto over Philly, Orlando over Milwaukee, Washington over Indiana, the Nets over Chicago (it'll be a close one, but I think the Nets will surprise a lot of people this year), Dallas over Cleveland, San Antonio over Memphis, New Orleans over Sacramento and Denver over Seattle (also should be a great game).

[NobBe Nobbs]

Man, I'm reading some columns (and Bill Simmons this goes towards you the most) and they're saying the Raptors are a lottery team. That crow is gonna taste good.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Scrap that. No sooner do I press post do I also see the "Coaching History" table on the Wiki article.

Edited November 1, 2007 by Starty Marty

[sahyder1]

Edit:Edited because of post above

And just about everyone looks past a Cleveland team. AGAIN!

I have no doubt in my mind that the Cavs will make it to the Finals again this year. Hell, this may even be the year where they win it all.

Edited November 1, 2007 by sahyder1

[phatman]

Yeah I really see Cleveland struggling to get back to the finals this year... and I don't really see what the big fuss about Chicago is, I do think they are good but don't think they'll come out on top in the East... I see Boston being the team in the East, I think that there trades in the offseason will really pay off and they'll win 50 odd games this season...

My team, Phoenix, will hopefully get over that final hurdle and make it through to the finals...

[alldaws1]

I really hope Chicago don't trade for Kobe. I like their team and think they can go far with it as is.

[JStarr]

I really hope Chicago don't trade for Kobe. I like their team and think they can go far with it as is.

QFE.

The beauty of the Bulls is that any guy can beat you any night. One night Gordon, one night Hinrich, one night Deng, etc. Making the whole team subservient to Kobe's ego demolishes all the work they've put in these last few years.

Kobe's simply being a dickhole about this whole process. He's said to be refusing any deal that will send Deng to the Lakers, meaning it's almost impossible for the Lakers to get anything CLOSE to reasonable value. And I use close loosely. Either he's trying to spitefully submarine the Lakers, or he's just that arrogant to need to control every aspect of his landing spot. No-trade clauses = total headaches.

Then there was this little gem that ESPN's been discussing:

Bulls get: Kobe Bryant

Lakers get: Ron Artest, Ben Wallace

Kings get: Ben Gordon, P.J. Brown

Ugh. If I was the Lakers on that one, I'd be holding both teams over the barrel for their entire '08 and '09 drafts, because that's a big neon sign that says "GOING OUT OF BUSINESS UNTIL 2009." I like Wallace, but he's worthless on offense...then if Artest gets one wild hair, he'll never step on the court again.

[NobBe Nobbs]

I'll summarise a DL discussion on the matter:

One person believes that Kobe is one of the best players going and that for the Bulls to give up anything is acceptable because Kobe is the ultimate gamebreaker. Another believes that for them to make that trade would be a waste of their future and they might not even win a championship with Kobe but without Gordon, Noah and co. A third...does something else, I can't remember right now. I think the third made a point about Chicago, as they stood, couldn't get through the East - even if they couldn't beat the Spurs, somebody else in the West might and Chicago could win the Championship.

Also that trade up there is ridiculous and if Kobe accepted that, it'd be the final proof that he just wants LA to fail.

Edited November 1, 2007 by Starty Marty

[naiwf]

If the Bulls as presently constituted ever draw a healthy Nets team in the playoffs they're done. New Jersey owns 'em.

[DMN in the House]

Be, I'm the one that says they should give up whatever they have to, because they'll win the East, and can hope to NOT get San Antonio.

Oh, and if the Lakers made that trade, I'd be PISSED, and I LIKE Artest and Wallace. We don't need Wallace, we have Bynum.

[thuganomic]

I'm the one who said that the Bulls cannot win a championship with the team they have now. No team in the modern era without a superstar has won a championship. Jordan, Shaq and Kobe, Duncan, Shaq and Wade. Luol Deng will forever be a Scottie Pippen type player, and the rest are all above-average starters, but they have nobody come clutch time who can take over a game. If they want to get to the next level, they'll trade for Kobe.

Personally, I'd go with a Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, and a 1st rounder swap for Kobe. That's about as close to win-win as you can get. With the addition of Tyrus Thomas and Noah, the Lakers now have THE deepest and youngest frontcourt in the West. Ben Gordon can replace some of the scoring.

[buck...]

since when is the pistons title not in the modern era?

[JStarr]

since when is the pistons title not in the modern era?

Depends whether or not one would consider Isiah a superstar. I personally wouldn't, but he was damn good.

[DMN in the House]

None of the Pistons teams have had a 'superstar'. Not the Bad Boys, and not the team that beat the Lakers. They're the only one that didn't have a superstar, unless I'm missing a team, since the 80s.

[NobBe Nobbs]

I remember Syco, I just couldn't be arsed to check.

I'm the one who said that the Bulls cannot win a championship with the team they have now. No team in the modern era without a superstar has won a championship. Jordan, Shaq and Kobe, Duncan, Shaq and Wade. Luol Deng will forever be a Scottie Pippen type player, and the rest are all above-average starters, but they have nobody come clutch time who can take over a game. If they want to get to the next level, they'll trade for Kobe.

Personally, I'd go with a Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah, and a 1st rounder swap for Kobe. That's about as close to win-win as you can get. With the addition of Tyrus Thomas and Noah, the Lakers now have THE deepest and youngest frontcourt in the West. Ben Gordon can replace some of the scoring.

[DMN in the House]

He won in 1999, although that was alongside Robinson. Indicting him for being unable to stop the Laker Three-peat would be like saying Karl Malone and John Stockton were shit for being unable to beat the Bulls (or the Sonics. God, I loved that Kemp/Payton team). He's a superstar, he's just a quiet superstar.