NBA 2015-2016 Regular Season
Forum Index > Sports |
OkMong
76 Posts
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OkMong
76 Posts
Significant Storylines for 2015-2016 Regular Season
Opening Day Schedule (October 27): Pistons vs. Hawks Cavaliers vs. Bulls Pelicans vs. Warriors | ||
Jibba
United States22883 Posts
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OuchyDathurts
United States4588 Posts
On October 26 2015 03:22 Jibba wrote: Flip Saunders passed away. :o This is heartbreaking. I always loved Flip. He was one of the good ones, certainly the best coach we've ever had in MN. By all accounts and hearing him on the radio he seemed like a great guy that is gone too soon. I'm sure it won't be easy on the team. Hopefully KG has an extra strong fire burning this year to push the team on to greatness for Flip. Rest in peace sir. | ||
RowdierBob
Australia12618 Posts
So I have surgery tomorrow and have the day off. On top of this, I cannot eat. So to try an distract myself from blinding hunger, I attempted an NBA preview. Not sure I'll get to every team but I'll try at least get through the West. I haven't spell-checked this thoroughly so please bear with the typos. Pacific Division + Show Spoiler + The NBA is almost back and that means writers will be filling the web with every type of NBA season preview you can imagine. And this blog will be no different. Something pretty (somewhat?) rare happened at the end of last season: a new team broke through! Only nine franchises have won an NBA championship in the last 25 years. The Warriors will be hoping to push through the one hit wonder barrier and join the likes of the Spurs, Bulls, Rockets, Lakers and Heat who all won multiple titles during this period. I’ll go division by division for this preview. They may not suit the NBA anymore, but for my intermittent blogs, it will keep the workload down. We’ll start with the defending champs and the Pacific Division. Golden State Warriors Last season: 63-19 regular season. NBA champs. Key gains: uh, Steve Nash? Key losses: …David Lee? Pseudo analysis: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it appears to be the Warriors’ off-season plan. It seems like a pretty solid plan too after a historically good 2015 campaign. That the Warriors scaled NBA Everest so quickly has evidently irked many of their rivals and their fans. In between championship celebrations they’ve been fending off claims they got “lucky”. It’s true that Kevin Durant’s foot finally gave up and emancipated itself sometime around February; and that the Clippers’ pyrrhic victory over the Spurs effectively neutered two of their toughest competitors; and that the Cav’s three headed hydra was trimmed down in size before the Finals began. There are a bunch of bitter excuses doing the rounds, but I’ll leave the rebuttal to the MVP: "I apologize for us being healthy, I apologize for us playing who was in front of us. I apologize for all the accolades we received as a team and individually. I'm very, truly sorry, and we'll rectify that situation this year." (Steph Curry, courtesy ESPN) The Warriors will feel they have a point to prove this year so motivating themselves to go back-to-back shouldn’t be a concern. On a positive note…: The team is intact and it’s stars may still yet hit their peaks. This team has no obvious flaws. They can go big and small (on offence and defence) and have lethal outside shooting, which is mandatory to compete in the modern NBA. There’s always a but…: If it’s even possible (which it apparently is) the West looks to have taken it up another notch. The Warriors’ rivals all got stronger: OKC, LA, San Antonio and Houston have all beefed up their rosters on paper. Whether this translates into eroding the Warriors’ Western dominance will welcome relief from the procession that will be the East. Getting off the fence…: The West is that tough that it’s hard to make a prediction about any of the top teams as matchups and health will be a big factor. The Dubs are well-rounded and deep though—a win in the West and loss in NBA Finals to the Cavs is where I’ll settle here. LA Clippers Last season: 56-26 regular season. Lost round two to Houston Rockets. Key gains: Josh Smith, Lance Stephenson, Paul Pierce Key losses: Matt Barnes Pseudo analysis: It’s got to be tough following the Clippers. It was just four years ago they picked up Chris Paul and launched into the West’s elite. That first year of Paul/Griffin they made the second round and although swept by the Spurs, it seemed only a matter of time until they had their shot. Four years later and the team hasn’t really gone anywhere. In fairness they had injury issues, coaching problems, an utter lack of roster depth and, of course, Sterling’s disease. But there’s always a “reason” why the Clips have failed to do anything with the obvious talent they have. Last year looked like the year: they conquered their Spurs demons and had one foot in the West Finals when absolutely dominating the Rockets. We all know what then happened in one of the most bizarre collapses I’ve witnessed in sports. Fatigue following the Spurs series was cited as this year’s “reason” but I don’t buy it. They were crushing the Rockets. Absolutely crushing them to the point where it may as well have been the 76ers out there playing. I’m at a loss to explain it but that team is just missing something when shit gets serious. Can they find it this year? On a positive note…: They now at least have more the 6.5 (I can’t in good faith count Austin Rivers as a whole) competent NBA bodies to put on the floor. Keeping Jordan has saved the Clips from a potentially irretrievable death spiral. This is a real make or break year for the Clips. They have talent; they have depth; and they have a quality NBA coach. Now they just need some mojo to bring it all together. Maybe Pierce can be that guy? There’s always a but…: The depth they’ve brought in could make or break the Clips this year. Everyone knows about Lance: he has a shaky jumpshot and a shakier temperament. Josh Smith is Josh Smith: he’s going to keep jacking those bad shots (mixed with the good). The Clippers struggled without their starters this year and Doc will be placing a lot of faith in some questionable second unit personalities. Getting off the fence…: I really want to say the Clips will make the leap this year but the past four years tells me I’m a fool. The fool in me is winning out though so here goes: Clips will make the WCF against their Warriors nemesis. A bumper year for the Pacific. LA Lakers Last season: GRIM. Key gains: DeAngelo Russell, Julius Randle (it counts!), Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams (this hurt), Kobe fan boys and girls. Key losses: Pride. Pseudo analysis: As a proud card-carrying member of the Lakers Haters club, the past two seasons have delivered me ample schadenfreude. Except for Nash—watching such an NBA hero hurt like he did was tough for me. I blame the Lakers. After two treadmill years of one year deals aimed at carving out cap space to make runs at prominent free agents, the Lakers are realising the draw of simply being the Lakers is not enough anymore if your team blows. Welcome to mediocrity, LA. So where to this year for the Lake-show? They have some decent prospects in Randle and Russell and not much else. Kobe is collecting dem cheques but will at least give the crowd a reason to turn up (apart from to boo their own team). The NBA has more or less figured out Roy Hibbert. He’s too much of a plodder to be a real threat in the modern NBA, despite being an excellent rim defender. He won’t move the needle much. On a positive note…: Top draft picks are always a reason for optimism and seeing what Russell and Randle have will be worth it for the Lakers die-hards. The Lakers will be optimistic they can lure KD in free agency next off-season so there’s that too. I’m the sort of person who can’t but help rubberneck when there’s a car accident so I’m really excited to see Kobe, Swaggy P and Lou Williams share the court at the same time (please, basketball gods, let it happen). There’s always a but…: The Lakers are stuck on a weird treadmill right now that only the Lakers could get stuck on. They keep biding time with short-term deals and making runs at big name FAs without any success. It’s not working and I’m not sure it will work. Is a player the calibre of Durant really going to want to join a team like the Lakers heading into his prime? They snagged Shaq I guess, so anything is possible. But if they strike out in free agency for the third year in a row, there may need to be a serious strategy rethink at Buss-HQ. Getting off the fence…: Another year of “meh” and enjoyable fodder for the Lakers Haters club. They’ll be better than last year and probably crack the low 30s for wins. I predict Kobe will lose his shit before Christmas at this teammates. Phoenix Suns Last season: 39-43, lottery. Key gains: Tyson Chandler Key losses: Dragic, Thomas (I’ll include these two even though they were traded late last year) Pseudo analysis: I really liked this team two years ago when they were the little engine that could. Then last year just didn’t go to plan. They signed Thomas to a really good deal but the stacked PG backcourt plan just didn’t work out. Thomas may be a really good and underrated but I get the impression he kinda sucks as a teammate following his Kings and Suns departures. After trading away Thomas and Dragic, they through their eggs into the Bledsoe basket. He’s a good, improving player but he’s not going to deliver much successful in the brutal West. Knight’s a decent addition but he’s ball-dominant and a bit chucky. Chandler is who he is. He’ll bring them some toughness and smarts in the middle but he’s on the decline and can’t be expected to do too much for them. On a positive note…: They have some nice young players in guys like Bledsoe, Knight and Len. Even Goodwin and Warren could develop into something. They’re actually set up pretty nicely if they could convince a really good player to sign there. There’s always a but…: I’m not sure what the plan is at Phoenix right now. They’re close to the worst spot you can be in the NBA: a perennial 9th seed contender. You don’t get nice picks and you don’t make the Playoffs. In summary, you don’t have much. As much as they’d look nice if they could convince a top 10 player to go there, I don’t see it happening. The only superstar available next year is Durant and it just isn’t happening, Phoenix. What the team does then is beyond me. Keep adding middling vets or commit to a rebuild? Kind of like the choice you get every election. A cursory glance at their roster reveals little to no roster depth. And don’t fall for the Markieff PR train: he’ll be agitating to get out of their first chance he gets. Getting off the fence…: Phoenix will have games where they’ll be fun to watch but they’ll be largely forgettable. High 30s/low 40s wins for them and more aimlessness. This sounds a bit drab but this franchise doesn’t inspire much confidence right now. Sacramento Kings Last season: It’s the Kings, so I’m guessing NOT GOOD. Key gains: Cancer (aka Rondo), Marco Belinelli, Kosta Koufos Key losses: Can’t lose what you don’t have! Pseudo analysis: We all have a friend like the Kings. They’re a bit of an underdog, likeable and you’re pulling for them to succeed. But unfortunately they can just never get their shit together and make bad decision after bad decision. And even when things start to perk up a little (hello, Mike Malone!), they self-sabotage and pull it all down (goodbye, Mike Malone!). So will this year be any different? On a positive note…: They made some nice signings in Beli and Koufos. Both solid and underrated depth pieces. McLemore and Gay should thrive in Karl’s system The Kings are a bit like the Suns in that they’re one of many on the treadmill of mediocrity, except they actually do have that star player. We all know of DMC’s issues but he absolutely can be that top 10 guy. Are things actually looking bright in Sacto? They brought in George Karl—a very good and reputable coach who has a history of turning around small market franchises. But… There’s always a but…: Karl is pretty much the worst coach you can hire if you’re star player is a big man. Karl’s teams are built around perimeter guys and tall folk are there to be tall (i.e. rebound, dunk, clog up space). Maybe this statement is over the top but I’m very sceptical if Karl will change his spots to suit an elite big man like DMC. Reports Karl wanted to trade DMC were likely true and if the Kings struggle early and DMC isn’t buying in, shit could get ugly fast. And I haven’t even got to Rondo yet! It’s like some twisted destiny that such an epic screw-up would join the league’s epic screw-up of a franchise. I’ve never been a big Rondo fan and last year’s inglorious exit from Dallas about summed up what a douche he is. Getting off the fence…: It looks like there could be a bit of Cinderella in this team except for the fact there’s just too many things that can go wrong. The Kings are the Murphy’s Law of the NBA: anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. I don’t see this year being any different. It will be entertaining in parts though. That’s it for this edition. If I get to it before season’s start, I’ll head to the Midwest next. Comments, gripes and vigorous debate are all welcome. Southwest Division + Show Spoiler + I’m feeling a bit devoid of Texas puns/clichés so we’ll just launch in with a yee-haa and get to into previewing the abattoir that is the Southwest Division. Granted Memphis and New Orleans aren’t in Texas but I’m Australian so it all counts to me. I’m no stats guru but last year’s Southwest had to be one of the few (if only?) NBA divisions where all five teams made the Playoffs. The Pelicans were actually the worst team, going 45-37. Yikes. That these guys have to play each other that little bit more than any other team in the NBA makes it just that much harder. There ain’t no Lakers or Timberwolves to feast on here. And it looks like the Southwest Hunger Games will only get tougher this year. Anthony Davis is older and will be even more MVPish; the Spurs did Spurs things over the off-season; Houston doubled-down on dumb-but-talented guys; the Grizz is still the team nobody likes/wants to play; and Dallas is… intriguing (albeit they’ve been pushing shit uphill ever since DeAndre got Stockholm Syndrome). I’m going to start with the Pels today because they’re a pretty cool bird and Anthony Davis rocks my world. New Orleans Pelicans Last season: 45-37 regular season. Lost first round to Warriors. Key gains: Alvin Gentry, PERK! Key losses: none Pseudo analysis: The squad is pretty much the same as last year. They tinkered around the edges with a few depth/roster filling signings but what you saw last year is pretty much what you’ll see this year. If that’s the case can we really expect much different from last year’s result? It’s a tough question. My first hunch is to say yes: Davis will be that little bit more mature and better; they have a new coach fresh off a championship season with the Warriors; they have stability on the roster and should have pretty good chemistry. But the Devil’s advocate in me can’t help but think that’s all window dressing. As good as Davis will be (he will be the best player in the league soon) I get a KG on the TWolves type feel about him. He’s a transcendent talent but how far can he carry a fairly average squad? Guys like Holiday, Evans, Anderson, Asik etc – they’re all good players but we pretty much know what they are. I don’t see much room for growth there. Gentry has also had 12 seasons previous to this as a head coach. Of all those seasons, he’s been above .500 just four times. And even in those four years only one was successful (09/10 when they lost to LA in the West finals). He’s a re-tread coach but does have a style suited to the run and gun of the modern NBA. And then there’s the injuries. The season hasn’t even started and already Tyreke, Asik, Ajinca, Cole, Babbitt and Pondexter are injured. Holiday is on reduced playing time as he comes back from surgery. Teams may even be able to triple Davis with the lack of capable NBA bodies they have right now. On a positive note…: Anthony Davis. The guy does just about everything but shoot threes at this point of his career. Only injury (touch wood) can slow him down. There’s a bit of early stages OKC about the Pelis and they’ll be quietly confident after last year’s effort. Despite going down 4-0 to the Dubs, that series was closer than it looks and will give the Pelis something to build on. I’m a big fan of roster stability. Guys play much better as a team when they have time to play and learn each other’s games. This team will have good chemistry. There’s always a but…: I’m not a fan of Holiday and Tyreke. Both have high usage rates for what you get from them. Tyreke averages close to 23 shots a game at very below average efficiency. Jrue 15 shots at slightly-better-than-Reek but still below average efficiency. That’s 38 shots a game from these two that ranks them below even an average NBA shooter (efficiency wise that is). Ryan Anderson has become a bit of a chucker since hitting New Orleans but still holds onto his reputation as an elite three point threat. He shot 34% from range last year and has actually only cracked the 40% mark once in seven NBA seasons. I’d like to think it was just a bad year but he chucked up some terrible shots last year that has me thinking he was buying into the hype too much. Getting off the fence…: New seasons bring about hope and there’s a lot of hope in New Orleans right now. I’d be excited too with Davis headlining my team. And as much as I love roster stability as an intangible good for sports teams, in the Pelicans case it also ensures they’re exposing the same old flaws. They will push for 50 wins this year but in the brutality that is the West, this won’t amount to much more than another first round loss (but perhaps they can snag a win or two this year). Baby steps for a team still missing a key piece or two. If injuries linger too, 50 will be optimistic. Houston Rockets Last season: 56-26 regular season. Lost WCF to Warriors. Key gains: Ty Lawson, Sam Dekker Key losses: Josh Smi… none. Pseudo analysis: Last year’s defending Southwest champs are a conflicting team for me. There’s little doubting the talent they have but, how I say this nicely, I’m worried about the… lack of smarts on their roster. Ty Lawson is a great addition on paper. But the guy has issues and it’ll be a big challenge for the Rockets to keep him on the straight and narrow. He’ll certainly be an upgrade from Beverley at starting PG and given them another great ball handler and passer to help out Harden. Dekker was a good draft choice for them. He didn’t really get to shine on a pretty conservative Wisconsin offence that ran primarily through Frank Kaminsky but I think this guy can be a Parsons type replacement for Houston in the long term. On a positive note…: This team is loaded with talent. This could be a positive or a negative but Houston is what it is at this stage. They have an MVP level player, a strong defensive anchor and strong three point shooting. They also have some underrated guys like Motiejunas and Capela who for mine are primed to make significant contributions this year. The ingredients are all there for Houston to make a run… There’s always a but…: I don’t see a lot of BBIQ on this squad and while they’ll crush their way to 60ish wins on talent alone, I suspect they will for fall short again when forced to apply the cerebral part of the game come Playoff time. Sure they ridded themselves of Josh Smith and his “I’ll shoot it when I’m open” crapshoot game, which will open up minutes for better options like Motiejunas, Jone and even Capela. But there’s still a little too much old-school hero ball in this squad in guys like Howard, and Harden particularly. In a league that requires more and more selflessness and ball movement, watching Harden pound the air out of the ball with everyone else just watching can be frustrating (as good as he is). I’m worried the Rockets don’t have another gear in them. From what I saw last year, being crushed by the Warriors and the should’ve-been-crushed-by-the-Clippers episode, I look for where they will improve and I don’t have an answer. Getting off the fence…: Assuming relatively good health as compared to last year, this team is deep and should be one of the regular season’s most impressive teams. I really think they can push for 60 wins this year. However, Houston is one of those teams I’d classify as a frontrunner. When everything is going good they look unstoppable but when the going gets tough the Rockets won’t get going. I think they’ll meet the wall in the Playoffs and will get outfoxed by the better coached teams. This isn’t so much a knock on Houston but (another) acknowledgment of how strong the West is. I just can’t rank them above the Warriors, Spurs or Clippers once it gets to the really meaningful games (and pressure spots). A step back for the Rockets has them departing in the second round for me. San Antonio Spurs Last season: 55-27 regular season. Lost first round to Clippers. Key gains: LaMarcus Aldridge, David West Key losses: Tiago Splitter, Aron Baynes (I’m Australian, remember). Pseudo analysis: The Spurs aren’t just the model for how to run a small market franchise, they’re the model for running an NBA franchise. As such, was anyone really surprised when the picked up LMA and then David West for the vet’s minimum? There not a lot of pseudo analysis to do here: a loaded team, a great coach, a top 10 all-time player still playing like an MVP candidate. The Spurs will succeed and the only question remaining is by how much? On a positive note…: Like their nearest rivals in Golden State and LA, the Spurs don’t have a lot of weaknesses and have great depth. They have a roster capable of playing different styles to suit different occasions. They have the NBA’s best wing defensive duo in Leonard and Green, which makes Tim Duncan defensive job easier (and he does it really well). The addition of LMA will add a whole new dynamic to their offence. He’s one of the NBA’s best midrange shooters and is pretty handy in the post too. The Spurs have great balance on both sides of the ball and will be very hard to beat. Have I already pencilled in a Warriors vs Clips WCF? I might have to reconsider after this Spurs love-in. There’s always a but…: New pieces don’t always fit easily into a new puzzle and there is legitimate chatter doing the rounds about how LMA will fit into the Spurs’ system. I’m one of those people who believe LMA is overrated. Don’t get me wrong, he is a good player and one of the better power forwards in the game but I just don’t think he’s as good as he’s made out to be. While he is one of the better midrange shooters, he still takes way too many of these for my liking. The shot he took more than any other last year came between 16 feet and the three point line. After that it was 10-16 feet. His combined conversion mark for these shots was just over 40%. These shots made-up 57% of the shots he took (about 11 a game), which isn’t great and why he’s a below average scorer efficiency wise. LMA also isn’t a great ball mover. For a guy whose usage is in the 30s, he didn’t do much passing with those possessions. But he is still a good player. He shoots much better the closer her gets to the bucket and one of the better rebounding PFs. Pop will have a lot to work with but I’m sure there are some things about LMA’s game he’ll work to change over the season. I’m not going to be one of those guys who brings up age in reference to the Spurs. Those people have been doing this as far back as 2011 (from what I remember) and the Spurs have been making them look ill-informed each successive year. BUT, I’m worried about Parker. Duncan will probably play to 50 and Manu has settled into his new role off the bench with Leonard and Green picking up his offensive contribution. Parker however is still pretty important to the Spurs’ success. They don’t have a guy who can cover for what he can do and he just wasn’t good last year. Injuries and age looked like they were taking their toll on his game. History has shown that when many great PGs lose it, they lose it fast—Parker I fear is now in this category. I’m very interested to see what he still has and if Pop is going to try reshape his game to suit where Parker is in his career now. Getting off the fence…: The Spurs are a lock for at least the second round. There are legitimate concerns about the fit of guys like LMA and the Parker’s health/game. This said, there’s too much depth, talent and basketball nous in that squad to fail. I may have to bump the Clippers and insert the Spurs into the WCF with the Warriors. I’ll think about it. Memphis Grizzlies Last season: 55-27 regular season. Lost second round to Warriors. Key gains: Matt Barnes, Brandon Wright Key losses: Kosta Koufos. Pseudo analysis: Grit n Grind. There, that's the one and only time I will say this in relation to the Grizz. This has to be the most overused moniker in the NBA and for some reason seems obligatory when writing anything about Memphis. Just so we're clear, I hate it. The Grizz are coming back largely unchanged as they have for the past four or so years now. They're a good team and tough to beat as they pride themselves on tough defence, slow pace and playing to their roster strength in the half court. To use a Starcraft analogy, they're that player still using effective, if not slightly outdated one base builds when everyone has moved onto early expo, macro styles. This is why they're so tough but perhaps it's also their fatal flaw. The Grizz either prove that pace and space isn't the be all and end all of the modern NBA, or that it actually really is. They've had admirable success in recent times and made the WCF in 2014 where they went down to the Spurs (fairly comprehensively too). The Grizz will be up there again this year battling with the West's elite but I can't help but think they've haven't done much to address the ceiling they're already touching. On a positive note…: They re-signed Gasol who remains the NBA's best five. This team has great chemistry, depth blah, blah, blah. They're basically a solid team that is a lock for the Playoffs if their best guys stay fit. Wright and Barnes and sneaky good acquisitions in the off-season that will bolster their second units. There’s always a but…: Solid only gets you so far in the NBA as the Grizz painfully demonstrate. They're actually so close to really contending for mine but for some strange reason they never seem to address the glaring flaw in their team that is outside shooting. Only Courtney Lee broke 40% from three last year in that team (from guys who played significant minutes). They beat teams up in close and from mid-range but they just can't shoot from deep. And while I appreciate the acquisition of Wright and Barnes, they're still two guys who also can't shoot. Barnes actually is passable but he's not going to make NBA defences bend the way the Grizz would like. From those of us who remember GSW vs the Grizz last year, the Grizz were 2-1 up in that series and beasting the Warriors with their superior play down-low. And this is against the All-Defence tandem of Bogut and Green. The key in the series came when the Warriors decided to ignore Tony Allen on offence and double Gasol and Z Bo in the post with the extra man they had. Allen couldn't hit the side of a barn door (even when open) and the Grizz offence became a 4v5 effort. Combine that with the Warriors discovering they could shoot again and the series went from 2-1 to 2-4 pretty quickly for the Grizz. If they just had an elite 3-and-D guy like Danny Green at SF last year they would've gone mighty close to winning that series. Getting off the fence…: Without addressing their shooting, it'll be another admirably competitive season for the Grizz but one that won't go anywhere. I'm not even sure they make it past the first round. The Grizz need to get creative a swing a trade for a wing who can shoot. Until then, the Grizz will be the guy in middle management with a solid career, dependable career that he can basically map out for the next 40 years. Dallas Mavs Last season: 50-32 regular season. Lost first round to Rockets. Key gains: Wes Matthews, Deron Williams Key losses: Tyson Chandler, Monta Elllise, Al-Faroq Aminu, DeAndre Jordan. Pseudo analysis: I'm a bit down on the Mavs this year compared to some. Vegas has the overs/unders line for season wins at 38.5 for the Mavs and I'm pretty tempted to go under. They have some good players who play an unselfish brand of basketball so should be pretty good chemistry wise. But the roster lacks talent. As much as I love Wes Matthews, he's coming off Achilles surgery and is the team's highest paid player. Dirk isn't the transcendent force he once was as is Deron Williams. I'm not sure there's much value in Dallas trying to win this year, which I'll get into below. On a positive note…: They've got smart ballers in their starting spots who will be good at getting solid looks for each other. Carlisle is one of the NBA's best five coaches so if anyone is going to squeeze the maximum amount of juice from this lemon, it will be him. There’s always a but…: Losing DeAndre was a crushing blow. Even with him they would've struggled for 50 wins, but losing him was crushing in so many ways. The opportunity cost from everything Jordan related was huge. It prevented a rebuild, stopped them pursuing other FAs and perhaps they don't chase Wes as hard with Jordan gone. They first game vs the Clips should be interesting. Losing Jordan was tough but exposed the lack of talent on this team even more glaringly. Do they have a top five player at their respective position? Chemistry will only take this team so far. Getting off the fence…: The Mavs clearly aren't going anywhere this year. If their pick falls above no.7 it goes to the Celtics. So is there much to be gained in the Mavs grinding out a low to mid forties win season? Like every other team, the Mavs will have cap space so I'm sure they'll make a run at someone. Cuban's one of the better owners in the NBA and he will work on something post the DeAndre drama. I wouldn't be surprised to see this team tanking come the new year. Cuban won't want to lose his pick and miss they Playoffs. That'd be the double whammy to really ram home the DeAndre flip-flop. Northwest Division + Show Spoiler + Finally we get to the West's weakest division – the Northwest. Oklahoma should dominate here. The Jazz look set to make solid gains again and could even be a smokey for an eighth seed run if the chips really fall their way. Let's launch in. Oklahoma Thunder Last season: Injury plagued, lottery. Key gains: Durant's (healthy) foot. Key losses: none. Pseudo analysis: For those of us who play poker, OKC is officailly all-in with their tournament life on the line. They're holding pocket queens and feeling pretty good about that. But they're still at risk and not holding the best hand they could. Everything is at stake for a variety of reasons but essentially it boils down to one man's free agency: Steve Novak! Yeah ok, that joke sucked. Of course it's all about Kevin Durant and what he will do once he hits free agency this year. Times have been lean in OKC since they lost to the Heat in 2012. Injuries have cruelled their seasons and the moves OKC has subsequently made shows me they're very nervous about what KD might do if he feels things have plateaued. Panic's maybe not the right word but the front office that was once so roundly praised as being one of the NBA's best has now shown some fallibility when confronted with the real prospect of their star leaving. This has a bit of Cleveland in 2010 with LeBron for me. I've heard a few pundits say this now and I agree: does any team have more riding on this year's success/failure than OKC? On a positive note…: Not many teams have two legit MVP candidates on their roster like OKC. Combine that with a potential DPOY and one of the deeper NBA rosters and all the ingredients are there for a deep run. You'd have to think OKC is due for a year of relative health after their recent nightmarish run. Cutting ties with Scott Brooks was a tough but necessary decision. He doesn't get enough for how he built that team into what it is today. He took over that team in its first season after the Seattle relocation and has built it into a perennial contender. He's proof that you're only as good as your last game. I hope he pops up again in the league soon. But he had become stale with that team. OKC was brilliant if not predictable though and like with Golden State firing Mark Jackson, bringing in Billy Donovan could be the shot in arm they need to take them up a level. Time will tell. OKC has gone sneaky underrated this off-season. The Spurs, Rockets, Warriors and Clippers seem to be dominating the West chatter and people have forgotten how good a healthy OKC can be. There's an unknown commodity about OKC this year with a fresh coaching direction, but one thing is for certain: they will crush souls. In fact, I'm finding it really hard to keep them out of my top four in the West, which should now bring the total of teams making the second round up to five in my preview. Sound logic. There's always a but...: Did I mention the word panic?! OKC decided to match Enes Kanter's $70 mill, four year offer from Portland. This is a really big head-scratcher for mine. Kanter does some solid things on offence. He can shoot the ball, is a sneaky good rebounder, reliable from the stripe and can bang down low. But any good he does there is completely negated by his utter lack of regard for defence. No hyperbole – he is the worst defensive center in the NBA. The worst. He's just utterly unplayable for that very reason and I'm not sure how OKC will use him this year. He'll space the floor for Durant and WB to do their thing but is he really going to play in the crunch of big games? OKC has Steven Adams who is a vastly under appreciated player and better than Kanter IMO. This is why I don't get the max offer. Teams are just going to let him get his empty numbers and relentlessly attack him on D. OKC made a big boo-boo here. Not to mention Dion Waiters is one of their key guys off the bench. I don't think I need to say much more than that. Like the Grizzlies, OKC lacks shooting too. They only have Durant and Morrow who shoot above 40%. WB is a real problem for them here too. As brilliant as he is, he guns too much from three. Last year he shot under 30% on over four attempts per game. Josh Smith (Houston version) even shot better than this. Need I say more? Which brings me to my next issue—who plays the two guard for OKC? They tend to like starting with Roberson, who is a good defender, but someone who should never be allowed to shoot the ball outside of open dunks. This compounds their shooting problem. Teams are going to just run KD off the three and let the other shoot. Morrow helps them here but is weak defensively to ma actually be a net negative if he logs big minutes. It's a big problems for OKC. Getting off the fence...: OKC has it warts but it has its huge fucking guns too. Its two stars are in their peaks now and will be itching to kill it this year. OKC will do big thigns this year to remind everyone they're a serious team. But I wonder if their flaws are surmountable ones when the post-season hits? I can't fathom a first round exit for this team but it is a real possibility. The West is just so close at in the top five teams that any prediction is bound to fail. I'll add them as the fifth team in my preview to make the top four in the West and leave it illogically at that. Utah Jazz Last season: 38-44, lottery. Key gains: none Key losses: Dante's knee . Pseudo analysis: Utah is a good segue from OKC with the Kanter. It's no surprise Utah went from one of the league's worst defensive teams to one of the best by ditching Kanter and putting Gobert in his place. OKC? They went the other way. Enough about Enes though. Utah is a young team on the rise. They made a tough call a couple of years back to cut ties with Milsap and Al Jeff to rebuild properly and it's really starting to pay dividends for them. They have one of the league's best defenses, and their frontline in particular is beastly with Gobert and Favors. Hayward has blossomed into a very good player and will be pushing all-star selection sooner rather than later. Coach Snyder looks like your atypical 90s Hollywood action movie villain but boy can he coach. He really has that team listening to him and has built their whole team philosophy on D. They're not a great offensive team yet but they have potential. On a positive note…: They're not perfect but they're young and still have plenty of room to grow. They have a lot of great young pieces and are keyed in defensively. Utah is a feel-good team right now that everyone is rooting for as a second-team of sorts. Rudy Gobert is a beast and my sneaky pick for DPOY. His long arms and athleticism are a really scary prospect for anyone daring to venture into the paint. It's a shame there aren't too many great low-post centers anymore as it would've been great to see this part of his game tested. Utah represents hope for the future and everyone can get on board with that. There's always a but...: reality's a bitch and it'll come to bite Utah eventually. You can only get by on expectation and potential for so long before people start expecting you to deliver. I admire the rebuild job happening in Utah but there is a ceiling there. This team desperately needs a top 10 type talent to become a serious player in the West. I'm not sure he's on their roster and can they swing a trade for him? Which brings me to my great Aussie sadness: Dante Exum. He didn't have a great rookie season but he wasn't awful. He was allergic to contact and very timid offensively. But while people recognise the big change Gobert made (and he did) starting Exum halfway through the year made a huge difference too to Utah's spectacular D. I still have hopes Dante can be something special and missing this year is just such a drag on his development. Still, he's only 20 years old and people forget his first NBA season was his first year outside of high school basketball (being an international, the college rule didn't apply to him). He's really raw still and needs another year or two before Utah really know what they have. They have a woeful back court. None of their regular guys shoot above 40% from three which is a huge issue. Their best three point threat last year (for guys who player >10 mins) was Alec Burks at 38%. That's not good. Rodney Hood looks like he could be a good player but needs time. Trey Burke is destined to be a sixth man but doesn't know it yet. Unfortunately a lot of the playmaking responsibility is going to fall to Hayward again and his game will suffer when he's asked to do too much. Getting off the fence...: Utah is in with a shot at making the eighth seed on the defense alone. I think it'll come down to Utah, the Mavs and the surprise packet Kings this year for eighth. But with the Kings being the Kings I'm going to back Utah to make it—just. As good as the West is at the top it's a little weaker at the middle tier this year so it might only take 43 or 44 wins to make eighth which is very achievable for the Jazz. | ||
Disregard
China10252 Posts
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JimmyJRaynor
Canada15499 Posts
Lewieke was brought in to MLSE with huge fan-fare and he signed big money football free agents to the TFC and it appeared the Raptors might be on their way to doing the same thing. There is now zero chance of that happening as Lewieke no longer has the long term confidence of MLSE ownership. no one really knows how or why Lewieke went from golden boy to living in the MLSE dog house. Leweike has been a 1st class guy throughout the whole process of MLSE sort of jerking him around. much respect to Lewieke for getting Raptors905 off the ground! he may be a loud mouth, but he delivers. On October 26 2015 19:54 RowdierBob wrote: So I have surgery tomorrow and have the day off. care to get specific on what kind of surgery? | ||
Elroi
Sweden5446 Posts
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RowdierBob
Australia12618 Posts
On October 27 2015 01:19 JimmyJRaynor wrote: MLSE own the Raptors, TFC, Maple Leafs, Marlies, and now Raptors905. MLSE unceremoniously pulled the rug out from under President Tim Lewieke. As a result, I do not see the Raptors becoming big spenders over the next 3 years on free agents. Lewieke is currently the "interim" president until MLSE can find a replacement. Lewieke was brought in to MLSE with huge fan-fare and he signed big money football free agents to the TFC and it appeared the Raptors might be on their way to doing the same thing. There is now zero chance of that happening as Lewieke no longer has the long term confidence of MLSE ownership. no one really knows how or why Lewieke went from golden boy to living in the MLSE dog house. Leweike has been a 1st class guy throughout the whole process of MLSE sort of jerking him around. much respect to Lewieke for getting Raptors905 off the ground! he may be a loud mouth, but he delivers. care to get specific on what kind of surgery? Minor stuff. Not anticipating any death. | ||
Xeris
Iran17695 Posts
East: 1. Heat 2. Cavs 3. Wizards 4. Bulls 5. Bucks 6. Hawks 7. Celtics 8. Raptors I think it takes 44 wins to make top 8 in the East (aka the East isn't as ass-bad this year). West: 1. Clippers 2. Warriors 3. Thunder 4. Rockets 5. Spurs 6. Grizzlies 7. Pelicans 8. Lakers (lol jk... Mavs) I think it takes 46 wins to get the 8 seed in the West. I think after the top 5 in the West, skill is going to drop off. I.E. I honestly don't even think the Mavs are a clear 8 seed. I think it's open for someone like Sacramento, Phoenix, or Utah to surprise people. Lakers note: everything on them is dependent on Kobe's health, and Russell/Randle/Clarkson. I.E. if the moon & stars align perfectly, they may be able to push 40 wins and make some noise, but ultimately I think they'll miss the playoffs even in a best case scenario. | ||
JimmyJRaynor
Canada15499 Posts
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/13978768/derrick-rose-chicago-bulls-says-having-blurred-vision | ||
Ace
United States16096 Posts
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RowdierBob
Australia12618 Posts
* Denver will be entirely forgettable this year. * Portland will be plucky but mid 30s wins at best. * Minny will suck but be entertaining to watch with so many high-caliber prospects. Cliffier cliffs on the East: * Cleveland will dominate. * The Bulls will be overrated and over-discussed as always. * Detroit will be sneaky good. * MJ needs to get out of the ownership business because he's destroying Charlotte. * Bucks will who flashes of being the East's next powerhouse team. * Miami will disappoint. My top 8: WEST 1. Warriors 2. Spurs 3. Rockets 4. OKC 5. Clips 6. Grizz 7. Pels 8. Jazz/Kings East 1. Cavs 2. Bulls 3. Wizards 4. Hawks 5. Bucks 6. Boston 7. Heat 8. Detroit | ||
Ace
United States16096 Posts
If Dwight is healthy, I don't see the Spurs being top 4. OKC, Clips, Warriors are all better than them and Aldridge is hugely overrated now. A lot of his value was due to volume + minutes. He has to get way better + the rise of Kawhi (expected) for them to jump in the top 4. If Dwight is healthy, I don't see San Antonio beating their record either. Also like Detroit (again). Hoping Stanley Johnson is the breakout star of the class. As for Minny - Wiggins wasn't that good last year. In fact, he was really largely bad. He'll improve, but ROY shoulda went to Nerlens Noel. He is looking like a possible future DPOY candidate. | ||
Zidane
United States1683 Posts
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BlackJack
United States9207 Posts
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ShoCkeyy
7814 Posts
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Ace
United States16096 Posts
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zoLo
United States5896 Posts
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zulu_nation8
China26351 Posts
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