The NBA thread

[DJ_Tet]

Furthermore, where would Dallas be if Milwaukee hadn't been stupid enough to trade Nowitzki for Robert Tractor Traylor?

Every franchise needs a little luck, you may call it savvy but I think it takes some luck too.  You can't just say that because the Bobcats had shitty management during their inception that they are 'undeserving' of Davis. 

[Cormacaroni]

Are we not talking about the worst team in the entire history of the National Basketball Association here?  By what stretch of the imagination is that 'deserving' of anything? *

*other than the suffering of the fans, which I've already stated my position on. You deserve a break, but so do the fans of the Knicks and the Lakers and everybody else who turns up and drops cash on tickets.

[DJ_Tet]

This isn't soccer.  In the NFL and MLB if you're the worst team you get the #1 pick, no other argument needed.  The Bobcats are potentially going to suffer the sins of teams tanking in the early 80's.


  @ the Lakers deserving a break.  Only a delusional NBA fan would think the Lakers haven't had enough breaks over the last 30 years.

[Cormacaroni]

If the Bobcats had developed or traded for a single player this year who was even AVERAGE by league standards...maybe we could say they just need some luck. But they don't. They need a SHIT-TON OF LUCK to get MULTIPLE good draft picks, and then they need to somehow NOT FUCK IT UP. Which they keep doing!  And then, they need to BUILD ON IT by both developing those picks and trading or signing quality players to complement them. That gets them to contender status. Then comes the real luck - winning a ring!

None of that is happening without a better organization, with an actual plan. Not Anthony Davis. That'll just paper over some of the cracks 'til he leaves after his rookie contract.

[DJ_Tet]

The Bobcats cleared cap space which was the whole plan for the last two years.  There was no reason to fuck that up to obtain a player that would have gotten them what, 5 more wins?  I'll take my chances getting a Tyreke Evans or whomever we can get this summer and next.

[Cormacaroni]

This isn't soccer.  In the NFL and MLB if you're the worst team you get the #1 pick, no other argument needed.  The Bobcats are potentially going to suffer the sins of teams tanking in the early 80's.


  @ the Lakers deserving a break.  Only a delusional NBA fan would think the Lakers haven't had enough breaks over the last 30 years.

This isn't soccer ...but it isn't the NFL or the MLB either

That may the worst single example of using someone's argument against them I've ever seen, sorry dude

[Cormacaroni]

The Bobcats cleared cap space which was the whole plan for the last two years.  There was no reason to fuck that up to obtain a player that would have gotten them what, 5 more wins?  I'll take my chances getting a Tyreke Evans or whomever we can get this summer and next.

Evans is actually a great example of a team wasting years of a player's career, trying to play him at the 2 and PG before finally settling on the 3. The number of different players that were shuffled around those positions as a result is comical, and they made no forward progress while doing it.

I mean, Gregg Popovich would have taken one look at Evans and known what to do with him. Does anyone think he wouldn't be a more productive player for the Spurs than the Kings...?

[DJ_Tet]

Pop is an amazing, HOF coach.  There aren't 30 of those guys in the league.  Once again, if you want to hold out 5 franchises as the model that's fine, that's basically who have dominated the last 30 years of hoops.  It's an insular league.  By that token then just get rid of the bottom feeders cause they won't be able to sign free agents, and cause Cormacaroni doesn't think they are deserving of top picks.

The Bobcats have only been around 8 years, and yes, they fucked up a lot of shit at the beginning.  They are starting over.  I think they will make progress, even if they don't get the #1 pick.  But it would certainly help.

Davis and Biyombo would be an awesome defensive front line for a long time to come, two of the most talented shot blockers in the league. 


My point about the MLB and NFL was that up until 1985 the worst team in the league was guaranteed at worst the #2 pick in the draft (I think there was a coin flip between the bottom teams in each conference.)  The lottery system was put in place to discourage tanking, which I understand.  But traditionally the worst team gets the best pick, as it still works in the NFL and MLB.

Of course you can go back further and MLB was actually a lot like euro soccer where the teams with the biggest pockets could sign all the talent.  And that led to a shitload of NYY titles.

[Cormacaroni]

There was a time when Pop was NOT an amazing, HOF coach. And someone took a chance on him because they evaluated his talent and potential highly. Ditto for Thibodeau. In 2007, you could have had Thibodeau coach your team for $100,000, most likely. Organizations. Excellence as a process, not a lucky one-off event. These things matter.

My life would be no poorer if this current Charlotte team ceased to exist, yeah. I'm not opposed to it existing, but I am opposed to this idea that they might deprive another team of a player they won't do jack shit with, most likely. Their sole achievement has been clearing cap space and tanking...which one of us ITT could possibly fail at that?

[Smooth Groove]

Anthony Davis going to a bad team might be a good thing for him in the long run.  If he goes on a decent team, he might get away with being an offensive liability and never get any better than someone like Joakim Noah.  However, on a bad team, he would be relied upon to put up some points and would be forced to work on his offensive game if he wants to win. 

[DJ_Tet]

No doubt, what matters is what they do with the cap space.  No argument there.  It still had to be done though, they sold high on Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson (both of whom have been traded since, for less.)

They got assets for their players, still have another first coming from Portland.  They still owe a 1st to Chicago though for that shitty Tyrus Thomas deal (thanks Larry Brown, you didn't mention that shit trade you were responsible for during your weeklong shitfest against the Bobcats, asshole.)

Your life wouldn't be different if the Bobcats ceased to exist, but what you're accusing us of could be applied to the bottom 15 franchises in the league.  And if all of them had no hope of getting better in terms of getting a high draft pick or free agents, then your precious league gets a lot smaller.  And you have less games to watch.  The league is insular enough as it is, with what, 7 franchises responsible for the majority of championships in the last 30 years?  The NFL and MLB have a much broader championship breadth, but no one seems to notice it in the NBA.

You act like all these players that Charlotte whiffed on deprived the rest of the league of amazing talent.  No.  Adam Morrison, sat on the bench for the vaunted Lakers, Phil Jackson couldn't find a use for him.  Out of the league.  Sean May, out of the league.  Brendan Wright, journeyman.  Emeka Okafor, decent player.  Raymond Felton, potentially worst starting PG in the league.  Stephen Jackson, traded twice since he left the Bobcats.  Gerald Wallace, still a solid player but traded since he left the Bobcats.  Charlotte didn't ruin these players careers, they just didn't work out, shit happens.  It's not all on Charlotte, and it's not all on Charlotte for drafting them. 

[etiolate]

As a soccer and basketball fan, I can't but laugh when people complain about NBA players having too much leverage over where they play.

Try a league with no draft, no salary cap, a no-trade clause for every player, and contracts that are renegotiated from scratch whenever a player moves.

Just because soccer is worse, it doesn't mean the NBA is okay.

[Mandark]

What about DeJuan Blair?  That guy was considered a borderline lottery pick but fell to the second round.  Convenient.

Furthermore, where would Dallas be if Milwaukee hadn't been stupid enough to trade Nowitzki for Robert Tractor Traylor?

That's not blind luck, that's being smarter (at least regarding a particular decision) than a competitor.  It might feel like a no-brainer, but avoiding dumb mistakes is a skill, and one that I think should be rewarded.

You act like all these players that Charlotte whiffed on deprived the rest of the league of amazing talent.  No.  Adam Morrison, sat on the bench for the vaunted Lakers, Phil Jackson couldn't find a use for him.  Out of the league.  Sean May, out of the league.  Brendan Wright, journeyman.  Emeka Okafor, decent player.  Raymond Felton, potentially worst starting PG in the league.  Stephen Jackson, traded twice since he left the Bobcats.  Gerald Wallace, still a solid player but traded since he left the Bobcats.  Charlotte didn't ruin these players careers, they just didn't work out, shit happens.  It's not all on Charlotte, and it's not all on Charlotte for drafting them.

Wait, I thought Cormac was the one arguing that the Bobcats have been run like shit.

[Mandark]

etiolate: and just cause your team is terrible doesn't mean the league is.

[Cormacaroni]

Smooth: What, like Dwight Howard? I mean, big men largely are what they are...they get better at what they do, rather than developing whole new areas of their game. (true of most players but especially of big men I think)

Biyombo, I dunno - starting two shot blockers with no offensive game? If Biyombo is your best hope beyond this draft...I have to tell you, Boston is getting more blocks per minute by far out of Greg Stiemsa, whom they picked up from the D League. It's not that hard to find one trick ponys in the NBA - the problem is filling out a roster that makes sense.

[etiolate]

Indeed.

Would also love to hear etiolate tell me whether Dallas last year was a lottery winner, or a big market team that players forced their way to. I mean, I could go back through the past decade of 'contenders' but I don't think I even have to go very far to utterly refute that. Nobody was forcing their way to the Pistons either. Boston traded for KG and Allen and drafted Rondo very low. Kobe was drafted at #7 or something, Pau they traded for and Bynum was drafted low. Good organizations, all.

Dallas is a big market team with an owner willing to take financial risks. Most of the players they have, they did not draft. Though they are not a Lakers or Miami situation, the Dallas money and ownership has superstar pull. The Mavs are what the Atlanta Hawks would be with competent ownership.

The Mavs winning the Finals is also more an exception to the rule than the rule.

[Cormacaroni]

Indeed.

Would also love to hear etiolate tell me whether Dallas last year was a lottery winner, or a big market team that players forced their way to. I mean, I could go back through the past decade of 'contenders' but I don't think I even have to go very far to utterly refute that. Nobody was forcing their way to the Pistons either. Boston traded for KG and Allen and drafted Rondo very low. Kobe was drafted at #7 or something, Pau they traded for and Bynum was drafted low. Good organizations, all.

Dallas is a big market team with an owner willing to take financial risks. Most of the players they have, they did not draft. Though they are not a Lakers or Miami situation, the Dallas money and ownership has superstar pull. The Mavs are what the Atlanta Hawks would be with competent ownership.

The Mavs winning the Finals is also more an exception to the rule than the rule.

What part of that does not scream 'good organization' to you, rather than 'lucked out in the draft' or 'is a huge media market'?

Are you not getting this?

[DJ_Tet]

Wait, I thought Cormac was the one arguing that the Bobcats have been run like shit.

No, I fully agree with him.  The Bobcats completely wasted their 'expansion' years.  Their management from the top down was piss poor and Jordan inherited a fucking mess, structurally and otherwise.  It goes further than just the draft picks, I could bore you on how the NBA team wasn't even on free local tv for their first five years.  Bob Johnson started a cable channel for the games, you had to have cable and pay $10 a month extra for it.  Nevermind that everyone knows that true sports fans have DirecTv for NFL Sunday Ticket.

So even local fans that wanted to see the Bobcats could not, and that obviously hurt fan support.  The mistakes the Bobcats made are numerous, and trading their one true 'star' last year didn't help much either, even though we got a lot for Wallace.


As for pairing Davis and Biyombo, I think Bismack actually has a decent touch around the basket and can develop into a double digit scorer in a couple of years.  Davis I also believe has more offensive game than he's shown at UK.  Both are 19 right now, the jury is still out.  Just because they are known as defensive players right now doesn't mean they cannot expand their game.  Not everyone can have the 'careers' of Kevin Durant.

[DJ_Tet]

Indeed.

Would also love to hear etiolate tell me whether Dallas last year was a lottery winner, or a big market team that players forced their way to. I mean, I could go back through the past decade of 'contenders' but I don't think I even have to go very far to utterly refute that. Nobody was forcing their way to the Pistons either. Boston traded for KG and Allen and drafted Rondo very low. Kobe was drafted at #7 or something, Pau they traded for and Bynum was drafted low. Good organizations, all.

Dallas is a big market team with an owner willing to take financial risks. Most of the players they have, they did not draft. Though they are not a Lakers or Miami situation, the Dallas money and ownership has superstar pull. The Mavs are what the Atlanta Hawks would be with competent ownership.

The Mavs winning the Finals is also more an exception to the rule than the rule.

What part of that does not scream 'good organization' to you, rather than 'lucked out in the draft' or 'is a huge media market'?

Are you not getting this?

Are you not getting that Dallas didn't even draft Nowitzki?  Without a shitty trade for Tractor Trailer it wouldn't matter how good their 'organization' was, they wouldn't have won anything.  They had some luck.  Every franchise you've named save for the Lakers and the Celtics needed some luck.  The Spurs needed some luck to get Duncan (and Ginobli, and Parker.)  The Rockets needed some luck to get Yao.  The Bulls DEFINITELY needed some luck to get Rose. 

[etiolate]

The Bobcats cleared cap space which was the whole plan for the last two years.  There was no reason to fuck that up to obtain a player that would have gotten them what, 5 more wins?  I'll take my chances getting a Tyreke Evans or whomever we can get this summer and next.

Evans is actually a great example of a team wasting years of a player's career, trying to play him at the 2 and PG before finally settling on the 3. The number of different players that were shuffled around those positions as a result is comical, and they made no forward progress while doing it.

I mean, Gregg Popovich would have taken one look at Evans and known what to do with him. Does anyone think he wouldn't be a more productive player for the Spurs than the Kings...?

No, he's not a great example. Evans has been moved around because his game hasn't grown. He's not a superstar. His rookie year and the 20-5-5 thing was a manufactured accomplishment. He can't play the 1 because he doesn't see the floor or the play, is slow initiating the offense and is just starting to understand spacing. He can't play the 2 because he has no midrange game or jumpshot. He's just begun to learn off the ball movement. He's too small for the 3, even though it asks less of him.

So why did he get the ball so much early on? Because the culture dictates you work your superstar. They tried to make him a superstar. Hey, if you don't give Tyreke the ball then he'll just leave in FA for a bigger market! You gotta utilize him! Even now that it's been demonstrated how limited Tyreke is, you still hear that from people. Even his agent has complained about his reduced usage.

What would Popovich have done with Evans? He's Manu without a jumpshot, midrange game or bball IQ. Tyreke would have been a defensive specialist playing 20 a night on the Spurs. Tops.

[Cormacaroni]

Sorry, when did I ever say that luck was not a major factor? There are 30 teams - excellent ones go unrewarded every year.

[Smooth Groove]

Smooth: What, like Dwight Howard? I mean, big men largely are what they are...they get better at what they do, rather than developing whole new areas of their game. (true of most players but especially of big men I think)

I was just giving a hypo.  I don't think Davis is ever going to be much of a scorer and therefore not the superstar that so many are projecting him to be.  College fans don't want to admit it but the college game is weak as fuck. 

Davis is not going to be able to jump like he does in the NCAA once he starts going against guys with equal length and 30 to 50 lbs of extra weight.  I don't even think he will ever be capable of scoring 20 on garbage baskets like Dwight because his shoulders are too narrow to put on much weight without losing significant athleticism. 

[Cormacaroni]

What would Pop have done with Evans? Don't ask me - he's the basketball genius, not me. I'm not saying he could have made him into a superstar - I merely asked if anyone thought he couldn't make Evans more productive than the Kings have done.

[DJ_Tet]

Anyway, in other news, apparently Russ Granik was at the game tonight to discuss rebranding the Bobcats as the Hornets with Jordan.  Wonder what name the New Orleans franchise will assume, I cannot see them getting Jazz from Utah.

I'd love to get our history back though, and get that Bobby Phills jersey back in Charlotte where it belongs.  Perfect year to rebrand too, obviously.

[Cormacaroni]

Smooth: What, like Dwight Howard? I mean, big men largely are what they are...they get better at what they do, rather than developing whole new areas of their game. (true of most players but especially of big men I think)

I was just giving a hypo.  I don't think Davis is ever going to be much of a scorer and therefore not the superstar that so many are projecting him to be.  College fans don't want to admit it but the college game is weak as fuck. 

Davis is not going to be able to jump like he does in the NCAA once he starts going against guys with equal length and 30 to 50 lbs of extra weight.  I don't even think he will ever be capable of scoring 20 on garbage baskets like Dwight because his shoulders are too narrow to put on much weight without losing significant athleticism. 

Sounds reasonable. I mean, that's still a top pick in any draft - if he turns into Tyson Chandler, you definitely want that guy on your team. IF he develops some offense, well...you probably win multiple championships if you're at all smart.

[Mandark]

I don't think you can file lopsided trades directly under "luck" either.  If you're lucky that other GM's are way dumber than yours... then you just won a trade by having a smarter GM!

[DJ_Tet]

I agree that Davis won't be the inside force that Howard is, but his jumper is already 100x better.  The guy was a guard up until 2 years ago, lets give him a shot to actually develop his game.  He's playing on instinct right now, and that instinct looks pretty damn good at times.

As for the Nowitzki trade, there's definitely skill on the side of Dallas to recognize it and pull the trigger.  The luck is more that Milwaukee is stupid enough to make the trade.  Wasn't discounting Dallas so much as saying that if Milwaukee had any sense Dirk would have played there.

[etiolate]

Davis + Cousins pls

You know that's an awesome combo. Boogie and The Brow.

[Cormacaroni]

I don't think you can file lopsided trades directly under "luck" either.  If you're lucky that other GM's are way dumber than yours... then you just won a trade by having a smarter GM!

Yeah, I don't want to nit-pick every last little thing but my understanding is that Dallas scouted Dirk and that Nellie pushed hard for him. Thus, they got rewarded for doing their homework whereas the Bucks got burned. Again, organizational excellence - they made their own luck by being smarter than the other guy.

Wikipedia:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

After leading DJK Würzburg to promotion and with his Abitur and military service behind him, Nowitzki looked to the NBA for his future. Projected to be seventh pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, he passed up many college offers and leapt directly into the NBA as a then-still rare prep-to-pro player.[19] In particular, Rick Pitino and Don Nelson, head coaches of the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks respectively, were highly interested in acquiring him. After a 45-minute private workout with Pitino, where Nowitzki showcased his versatile shooting, rebounding and passing skills, the Boston coach immediately compared him to Celtics legend Larry Bird; Pitino assured Nowitzki that he would draft him with the Celtics' first-round draft pick at number ten.[20]
However, Pitino's plan was foiled by Nelson, whose team had the sixth pick. Nelson worked out draft day deals with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns: the Mavericks wanted Nowitzki and Suns reserve point guard Steve Nash; the Bucks desired muscular forward Robert Traylor, who was projected to be drafted before Nowitzki; and the Suns had set their sights on forward Pat Garrity, who was projected as a low first round pick. In the draft, the Mavericks drafted Traylor with their sixth pick, and the Bucks selected Nowitzki with their ninth and Garrity with their nineteenth pick. The Mavericks then traded Traylor to the Bucks for Nowitzki and Garrity, and they in return traded the latter to Phoenix for Nash.

[close]

[DJ_Tet]

Davis + Cousins pls

You know that's an awesome combo. Boogie and The Brow.

That actually would be a sick combo.  Was surprised at how big Cousins is in person, the guy is huge.

And yes, it's well documented that Nellie was ahead of the game on euro scouting.  But if he was that high on him why didn't they draft him in the first place?  Traylor was picked higher.  Why take a chance on losing him just to add Pat Garrity? 

Nevermind, turned Garrity into Nash, point taken 

[Cormacaroni]

'cause they wanted Nash as well, and had a deal in place with the Bucks (See the spoiler in my post)

You got to admit, that's a way better haul in hindsight that Robert Traylor and Pat Garrity.

[DJ_Tet]

Yeah that's totally lapping your competition.  RIP Tractor  :'(

[Cormacaroni]

ANYWAY

FUCK THE PLAYOFFS START IN LIKE 32 HOURS! WHAT THE FUCK

We need to do some brackets and get some predictions on the record, STAT

[Stoney Mason]

[Stoney Mason]

My picks

First Round

Chicago over Philly. No match here
Boston over Atlanta although it wouldn't shock me for Atlanta to win.
Indy over Orlando which is the easiest series in the entire playoffs
Miami over New York. The most "sizzle" match of the first round in the eastern conference but outside of Chandler the knicks just don't match up well with the heat despite playing really well since Mike Woodson took over.
San Antonio over Jazz as they seem like a better version of the jazz.
Memphis over Clippers. Easily best first round series. I'm banking on playoff style basketball that slows the game down helping the Grizzlies more and clogging the lane making Paul rely on jumpers.
Lakers over Denver. The easiest first round in the west. The nuggets are fun but utterly flawed.
Thunder over Dallas in a very sexy series but one that doesn't mean much. These aren't the Mavericks from last year and they may steal some games because Carlise is a great coach but they don't have enough.

Conf semifinals
Chicago versus Boston

Good test series for chicago. Its a series they should handle pretty easily but its the kind of series that will show whether their offense is only Derrick Rose again when they play the heat. Chicago in 5.

Miami versus Indy
I think Indy is the type of balanced squad that potentially will give Miami trouble. Teams that actually work hard and will out rebound and out work them. Miami should win it. But I can see it going 6. Good sign for Miami if it goes earlier though. Bad sign if it goes 6 or the unthinkable 7.

San Antonio versus Grizzlies
I'll be honest and admit that I didn't watch these two teams much during the regular season so I honestly don't have a real world take on either of them. A lot of thoughts are simply based on what happened last year versus what they did this season record wise. If there was gonna be another upset in this year's playoffs this seems like it would be it based on history and matchups. But for no good reason I'm gonna say San Antonio wins this year.  in 7

Lakers versus Thunder
This is the key series in the entire western conference for me. I honestly could go either way. I really like the Lakers for a lot of reason. I like the height. I like sessions. I like Kobe in the playoffs. But then I also see a team that could flame out with Kobe and Mike Brown getting the worst out of each other. Like nearly every one I also like the Thunder but I just wonder does that team have all the offensive pieces it needs. I don't like the fact that their bigs have no offense. I'm gonna pick an upset and say Lakers in 6 or 7.

Conf finals

Bulls versus Heat

And here we are. Let's not beat around the bush. I haven't liked the way Miami has played for a lot of the season despite their good record. I'm picking the bulls here. This is based off mainly the fact of these two playing last year and believing Chicago will see where they need to direct their attack and diversify against the heat versus the Heat's inability to change. Despite the minor changes these two teams have made this is essentially the same series as last year with each team having slight variations on the same strengths and weaknesses they had last year. Chicago's bench is still way better. Miami still has two premier scorers versus Chicago's one although I think Hamilton will help.  It wouldn't shock me to see Miami win of course but I just don't like the way this team has responded to adversity and I don't overly love the bench changes. They are still utterly weak against a team that is going to outwork them and has the depth of the bulls.  Bulls in 7

Lakers versus Spurs

I'm picking the Lakers but I was more sure of this pick a couple of weeks ago before the Spurs dusted them twice within a couple of days.  Once again my pick has more to do with having watched a lot of Lakers games and knowing their strengths and weaknesses better than the Spurs. The spurs are a big unknown to me in the sense of this seems like the sames Spurs team it always is. So its hard for me to suddenly say this team is way better than its ever been although such a thing is clearly possible. Lakers in 6.

Finals

Bulls versus Lakers.

I'll go with the Bulls. Based on the idea that the Lakers are strong enough to get here but the Bulls are a better version of them without the mental weaknesses and short comings. They have enough defense to defend kobe. They have enough bigs to compete with Pau and Bynum. That's enough right there. Bulls in 5 or 6.

[Flannel Boy]

Time for history to repeat itself:

spoiler (click to show/hide)

it won't

[close]

[Stoney Mason]

Most likely Nash's final game as a sun

[Cormacaroni]

Yeah, Nash is gone. I tuned in for the last few mins of that - definitely a nice moment. He'd be crazy to be swayed by it though. The Heat need him so bad, and there are plenty of other smart destinations too (backing up D-Will in Dallas would be a fantastic option if it pans out - he could play 3 more years that way potentially...).

Cheers for the bracket, Stoney 

As I said a few pages back, I think the Heat will beat the Bulls, assuming it comes to that. I think the Bulls minus Rose are really, really good but over 7 games, the ability to sic LeBron on Rose and transform him into Derek Fisher will be too much to deal with. There is always the prospect of injury or LeBron getting the shits again of course. If the Bulls win though, I think they probably go on to win it all. Should be a great series with vicious defence and a lot of bad blood. It will likely be a series of big runs, as the Heat go ahead with the starters on the floor and cough up the lead due to their shitty bench. I predict the Bulls' bench wins at least one game for them - possibly even with the starters on the bench in the 4th. Thibs has crazy confidence in those guys now.

I agree with all Stoney's 1st round picks. They're usually easy to call of course. The only difficult one is Grizz-Clips maybe.  I think Memphis beats the Clips too. Z-Bo is looking better, and he will DESTROY Blake in the post. It will not be pretty. Blake will get his points and boards but they will be hard-fought other than the odd transition dunk I bet. Tony Allen on Chris Paul is the big match-up to watch. Just watch Paul's efficiency drop like a rock with Allen plastered all over him. Conley is no slouch either.  I say this one goes 4-2 and doesn't ever look close.

Thunder - Dallas: Well, you don't want to count Dallas out completely but based on watching a lot of games this year...it would be a REAL upset for the Mavs to take this one. Unless they have been completely tanking all season, it's not gonna happen.

Will think more about the 2nd round later I guess.

[pilonv1]

I always thought it was Donnie Nelson (not Don) who saw Dirk first and recommended him?

Interestingly Donnie was also the first one to give Jeremy Lin a chance, and compared him to Steve Nash, who he scouted in 1995/96.

[CajoleJuice]

Beat the Heat

[Cormacaroni]

Jazz all the way

spoiler (click to show/hide)

Just kidding, Bulls take everything, Jazz lose to Spurs in 5  :'(

[close]

spoiler (click to show/hide)

At least I'm not a Kings fan

[close]

The Spurs are a pretty bad match-up, yeah. But props to the Jazz for making the playoffs for sure. Again, no reliance on a big market or lottery picks - they just keep on truckin' anyway.

[Flannel Boy]

Beat the Heat

Won't happen, but I'll cheer with you.

[Stoney Mason]

I'm all basketball all day today.


Philadelphia at Chicago
Game 1   1:00 PM         TNT   


New York at Miami
Game 1   3:30 PM         ABC   


Orlando at Indiana
Game 1   7:00 PM         ESPN

   
Dallas at Oklahoma City         
Game 1   9:30 PM                    ESPN

[DJ_Tet]

I always thought it was Donnie Nelson (not Don) who saw Dirk first and recommended him?

Interestingly Donnie was also the first one to give Jeremy Lin a chance, and compared him to Steve Nash, who he scouted in 1995/96.

I think you might be right that Donnie was the first one to see him live.

[Cormacaroni]

Hollinger says Celts could take the Bulls to 7 in round 2 if that matchup happens...could be epic! His pick for a potential round 1 upset is Denver over the Lakers...don't buy it myself but Hollinger has a better record than me!

[Cormacaroni]

'My favorite stat: San Antonio's three stars -- Tony Parker, Ginobili and Tim Duncan -- have only played 297 minutes together the entire season because Ginobili missed half the year and the Spurs have been so proactive about resting players. When they do play together? San Antonio outscores opponents by 17.8 points per 48 minutes. Again, that's not a typo: 17.8.'

He picks Spurs over Heat to win it all.

[Flannel Boy]

'My favorite stat: San Antonio's three stars -- Tony Parker, Ginobili and Tim Duncan -- have only played 297 minutes together the entire season because Ginobili missed half the year and the Spurs have been so proactive about resting players. When they do play together? San Antonio outscores opponents by 17.8 points per 48 minutes. Again, that's not a typo: 17.8.'

Poor Cohen

[Stoney Mason]

Bulls handling the 76ers as expected at the half.

His pick for a potential round 1 upset is Denver over the Lakers...don't buy it myself but Hollinger has a better record than me!

Some people are suggesting the speed of the nuggets and their passing will give the Lakers problems. I just don't see it myself. At least over the course of a series.

[Stoney Mason]

Rose looks to be hurt again in a blowout win. It looked serious.

[TakingBackSunday]

Thibs is a fucking moron.  Close the game out with your bench, the Sixers weren't hitting shots to cut it close.

Rose likely out for the season based on the movement I saw on his knee.  Not totally over for the Bulls since that team is fucking stacked, but...man, against the Celtics?  Nope.

[Stoney Mason]

I just think Rose is going to get hurt no matter what this season. Clearly he's just been in bad physical shape (I don't mean fitness) all season and the injuries are building on each other.

[TakingBackSunday]

the refs in this heat game are awful

[Stoney Mason]

Such lazy analysis to say the heat are "bored" by the regular season instead of pointing out how they are flawed in many cases in the regular season.

[Stoney Mason]

I hate the charge rules in the NBA as they are currently implemented.

[TakingBackSunday]

lol what a flop bron.

typically NBA-gaf is just besides themselves.  how dare lebron get foul calls

[Stoney Mason]

Bosh is terrible tonight on offense. The Knicks can't hit anything.

[TakingBackSunday]

bahahah oh god refs.

[Stoney Mason]

They've been pretty bad this game. (refs)

Lebron has played pretty great though.

Like I said, the Knicks don't match up well against the Heat.

[TakingBackSunday]

this shit is just painful to watch.  Lebron single-handily has accounted for the Heat's offense...and their defense with his flops and charge stances.

[Stoney Mason]

this shit is just painful to watch.  Lebron single-handily has accounted for the Heat's offense...and their defense with his flops and charge stances.

Probably his best first half of the entire season.