2005-2006 NBA thread

[Alpha and Omega]

Detroit has the east on lock unless one of their starters is injured. Miami needs to increase the level of their play to have a chance against Detroit. We'll see.

Personally, it seems like Miami was a better team last year, despite the new additions this year. Maybe the team needs some time to adhere to their individual playing styles, and become a team.

Detroit has been doing this for a few years now, and that's why they're the true NBA team; they're the obvious favorite right now.

 

[DarthRekal]

A few reasons

1) At Miami

2) IF Detroit has a shot at 70, teams will be gunning for them

3) Starters will be tired and worn down by then, and possibly saving themselves for the playoffs.

4) Lots of trades could happen by then.

nice solid points.... i just dont see miami being a cohesive unit...i give d town the edge..but you could be right man...good analysis

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

nice solid points.... i just dont see miami being a cohesive unit...i give d town the edge..but you could be right man...good analysis

I agree, but I forgot to add one more

5) One of the few teams that has a shot at winning against Detroit. I mean they could win 75 games. But they could also slow down towards the end of the season and win only 65 games. Plus like I said, teams like Atlanta, Portland, Tornto and weak teams always manage to sneak in good performances against the top teams here and there. I am not saying all those teams or even that the weakest teams will win, but don't be surprised if they are upset by a very weak team.

 

[DarthRekal]

i agree its usually the lower ranked team that sneak up...ts hard to stay UP for those games

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

i agree its usually the lower ranked team that sneak up...ts hard to stay UP for those games

Yup, plus they come out of no where with their best game of the year for some reason.

 

[DarthRekal]

Yup, plus they come out of no where with their best game of the year for some reason.

its cause they come out with a chip on their shoulder..i sused to hate that when the raps and hawks and warriors when they were bad killed us ...thats when we were good... ahh those days ....it seemed like just yesterday i was at a parade.... i fear another twelve years of waiting is at hand....

 

[Immortalfire]

Hawks beat Knicks!

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

its cause they come out with a chip on their shoulder..i sused to hate that when the raps and hawks and warriors when they were bad killed us ...thats when we were good... ahh those days ....it seemed like just yesterday i was at a parade.... i fear another twelve years of waiting is at hand....

****, I am just waiting for my stupid Warriors to make the playoffs which I thought we had a shot at this year but the way things are looking I will be happy as hell if we can just finish .500 or better.

They really need to make a trade.

Must keeps
Davis
J Rich

Maybe keep
Dunleavy jr.
Murphy

Expendable
Everyone else

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

its cause they come out with a chip on their shoulder..i sused to hate that when the raps and hawks and warriors when they were bad killed us ...thats when we were good... ahh those days ....it seemed like just yesterday i was at a parade.... i fear another twelve years of waiting is at hand....

****, I am just waiting for my stupid Warriors to make the playoffs which I thought we had a shot at this year but the way things are looking I will be happy as hell if we can just finish .500 or better.

They really need to make a trade.

Must keeps
Davis
J Rich

Maybe keep
Dunleavy jr.
Murphy

Expendable
Everyone else

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

its cause they come out with a chip on their shoulder..i sused to hate that when the raps and hawks and warriors when they were bad killed us ...thats when we were good... ahh those days ....it seemed like just yesterday i was at a parade.... i fear another twelve years of waiting is at hand....

****, I am just waiting for my stupid Warriors to make the playoffs which I thought we had a shot at this year but the way things are looking I will be happy as hell if we can just finish .500 or better.

They really need to make a trade.

Must keeps
Davis
J Rich

Maybe keep
Dunleavy jr.
Murphy

Expendable
Everyone else

 

[Alpha and Omega]

Dunleavy needs to step it up. He can play much better than he is right now. I think he's a great 3rd or 4th option. You have Baron and J-rich in the backcourt. That's a pretty good tandem, and hopefulld MD will become a viable 3rd option in the 2nd half of the season.

LAL has more complicated issues than the Warriors. W/ a few changes, you could have a serious title contender in a few years. We need some better starters.

 

[Stringer]

Yao returned tonight and they still lost, but at least he's back.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Dunleavy needs to step it up. He can play much better than he is right now. I think he's a great 3rd or 4th option. You have Baron and J-rich in the backcourt. That's a pretty good tandem, and hopefulld MD will become a viable 3rd option in the 2nd half of the season.

LAL has more complicated issues than the Warriors. W/ a few changes, you could have a serious title contender in a few years. We need some better starters.

Yeah he does, he makes me so mad! My boss and I talk about it and he keeps telling me that once the Warriors trade him he will be really good. And I believe him, he really knows his basketball, but my response is always, well why the hell isn't he good now!

The LAL are in a tough spot right now, but look at it this way, you guys have Kobe and pretty much anyone is expendable except him. So you guys have a great building block to start with, if the team chooses to make some big time moves this summer.

 

[Alpha and Omega]

Yeah he does, he makes me so mad! My boss and I talk about it and he keeps telling me that once the Warriors trade him he will be really good. And I believe him, he really knows his basketball, but my response is always, well why the hell isn't he good now!

The LAL are in a tough spot right now, but look at it this way, you guys have Kobe and pretty much anyone is expendable except him. So you guys have a great building block to start with, if the team chooses to make some big time moves this summer.

Phil Jackson said that we're one great player away. (currently in Miami, but the past is the past.) I hope we can acquire this player soon! (IMO, we need a few players.) We need some help. Smush Parker, Chris Mihm, and Odom are not cutting it. When we played Detroit last night, they dominated us for three quarters of the game. We matched their intensity in the 2nd quarter, and they railroaded us for the rest of the game.

When is the last time the Warriors won a playoff round? Is it as far back as the days of Chris Mullin? They're due for something major.

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

Phil Jackson said that we're one great player away. (currently in Miami, but the past is the past.) I hope we can acquire this player soon! (IMO, we need a few players.) We need some help. Smush Parker, Chris Mihm, and Odom are not cutting it. When we played Detroit last night, they dominated us for three quarters of the game. We matched their intensity in the 2nd quarter, and they railroaded us for the rest of the game.

When is the last time the Warriors won a playoff round? Is it as far back as the days of Chris Mullin? They're due for something major.

The last time they went was with Run TMC, Mullin, Hardaway and Mitch Richmond. 93-94 season.

They way they are playing right now, the only thing they are due is a bunch of boes! (sp)

 

[NOFX]

2005-06 Power Rankings: Week 13
RANK (LAST WK) TEAM REC. COMMENT
1 (1) Pistons 37-5 Trying to keep it fresh with those ''boring'' Pistons, we steal this line from Bernie Bickerstaff: ''Most teams have a go-to player. They have a go-to team.''
2 (2) Mavericks 34-10 How do you make a run at the Southwest crown and the West's No. 1 seed when you're last in the league in assists? With the league's deepest roster, that's how.
3 (3) Spurs 34-10 Duncan and Ginobili aren't playing at full strength, true. But nothing has changed: Every team in the league outside of Detroit would trade for Spurs' problems.
4 (4) Suns 28-16 Good as they are sans Amare, Suns have to fix this with or without him: 0-5 in games decided by three points or less, thanks in part to all those OT heartbreakers.
5 (8) Heat 27-18 Don't blame the committee (of one messenger). Facts is facts: Heat are 16-8 under Riles, but 0-6 against the top four and just 8-13 vs. teams with winning records.
6 (10) Cavaliers 25-17 Told you LeBron wouldn't be able to ditch the tights. How can he? After that six-game skid, Cavs are 5-0 since he started wearing them.
7 (13) Clippers 25-16 They couldn't get Artest, don't know when Maggette will be back and can't get any pub thanks to Kobe. The consolation? Clips are back up to nine games over .500.
8 (5) Nuggets 25-21 I agree with Denver's belief that working Camby back in shouldn't be that tough. But his first two games (home-and-home losses to Clips) couldn't have been worse.
9 (6) Grizzlies 25-18 This is not the way to make an All-Star push: Grizz have dropped seven of nine and, fair or not, I suspect that'll put a dent in Pau's hopes for a spot in Houston.
10 (9) Lakers 23-20 If you say Kobe doesn't make his teammates better, what you're really saying is that you expected these Lakers to be more than a top-10 team. These Lakers?
11 (7) Nets 22-20 Losing Vince is obviously the killer blow, but this hurts, too: Nets no longer have the league's longest win streak of the season now that Pistons have won 11 straight.
12 (14) Bucks 23-20 Bucks have been over .500 every day since Nov. 29. Of course, they also seem to be dealing with a new injury every day. This time it's Mo Williams . . . again.
13 (16) 76ers 23-21 Could all the problems and tension be eased by some consistent rebounding? Sixers are 17-2 when they outboard the opposition, but it happens less than half the time.
14 (11) Hornets 21-22 OK, OK. Even one week at No. 11 might have been a bit aggressive. But the question is still valid for at least another week: Will playoff games be in OKC or NO?
15 (12) Jazz 21-23 Uh-oh, continued: Utah's slide is now at 2-6 and Jazz have two point guards (McLeod and Palacio) looking steadier than No. 3 pick Williams.
16 (22) Bulls 20-23 A slumbering Chandler has awakened at last. Gordon is getting more consistent, too. Best of all for Bulls, you're never out of the playoff running in the East.
17 (19) Wizards 20-22 Jamison is looking more like Jamison, having strung together eight straight 20-plus games after his recent benching. Wiz, though, remain a difficult read.
18 (15) Pacers 21-21 It figures. Artest finally gets traded and, on cue, Jermaine suffers a long-term injury. Which makes it tough, obviously, to evaluate Peja and JO together.
19 (18) Timberwolves 20-22 Wally was playing as well as he ever has and Wolves were two games under .500. That's why you're wrong if you say it was a trade for the sake of making a trade.
20 (26) Celtics 18-26 I realize Ricky was popular, and that Wally's no stopper, but I'd say a highly efficient scorer with a killer outside touch fits better next to Pierce than Davis did.
21 (20) Warriors 20-23 Warriors are 3-9 this month and chose not to pull the trigger on an Artest deal. In the other words, Baron and Montgomery will continue to be the big story.
22 (21) Magic 18-24 Poof. Just like that, Magic's unexpected five-game win streak has been followed up by losses to chaos-infested Knicks and Iverson-less Sixers.
23 (20) Kings 18-26 Even if Artest somehow gets through the rest of the season without incident, let's hold off on the playoff talk until Kings are out of last place in the Pacific.
24 (25) SuperSonics 18-25 Go ahead, suffering Sonics fans. It's OK to admit that you heard about the new assistant coach, a certain Mr. Schrempf, and wished he was coming back as a player.
25 (27) Rockets 15-28 Assuming Yao is back soon, and assuming T-Mac doesn't immediately reinjure his back, you still have to wonder about Yao's stamina after he sat for so long.
26 (23) Raptors 15-30 Could be another of my crazy theories, but maybe Raps fired Babcock one day after Pape made his first start because they figured we'd be too Sow-centric to notice.
27 (24) Trail Blazers 15-27 Going 5-3 on an eight-game homestand, as young as Blazers are, ain't bad. The bad news? Eight of Portland's next 10 games are roadies.
28 (28) Knicks 14-28 Last week was simply not a good week to be an Isaiah . . . or an Isiah. It's ugly for Knicks on the court again and even more uncomfortable off it.
29 (29) Hawks 11-31 Since we always like to keep it positive, as everyone knows, we have elected to focus on Joe Johnson becoming the 12th player this month to post a 40-point game.
30 (30) Bobcats 11-34 Bickerstaff said we could use that quote about Detroit so long as we reminded everyone that injuries are the main reason why Bobcats are 1-14 in January.

 

[Assassin]

do u think detroit will beat the 70 win season of the bulls?

 

[Alpha and Omega]

do u think detroit will beat the 70 win season of the bulls?

Will Detroit beat Chicago's 72 - 10 season. Um, I don't think so. They will probably win 60-65 games.

 

[Kipobe]

Yeah, I knew the Lakers were top 10.... Before Sunday they were one of just NINE teams to have less than 20 losses. Not saying alot for the NBA elite this year... but all the same, less than 20 losses isn't bad. Then when you factor in the amount of "heartbreaker" losses (games decided by 5 points or less)... the Lakers could easily have the second or third best record in the NBA. They really haven't been blown out, and they're playing better each game.

Kobe's 81 point game may have some positive backlash here. Since then, he's been up on his assists, and at least 5 Laker players has scored over 10 points. Tonight vs. NY... and truthfully, Sunday vs. Detroit were good examples of how this team can play together. Too bad most of the game vs. Detroit they went stagnent... but they "could've" won that game, and they did win in NY convincingly tonight.

I expect a much cleaner record in the second half of the season. The games they loss by 5 points will be the games they win by 5 points. If they turned that one stat around in the season so far, they'd have about 10 more wins (10 less losses puts them in second place). This year, they'll make the playoffs. A few off-season pieces moved into place, and next year they'll make a strong playoff run. Unfortunately, the key to all of this is Odom. He's still not performing like he should.... and whilst they can cover him sometimes, he needs to step it up. Two years under Phil Jackson, and he'll be a good swing-man/second scorer.

So now, the ultimate question: since the Knicks didn't get Jackson... and apparently were happy to "settle" for Larry Brown (because he's the only REAL coach of the two... turning sub-standard teams into playoff contenders, whilst Jackson only can coach champs, apparently...) who got the better deal?

Sorry Equint... Phil is having a measure of success in LA, and NY.... well, NY are already marking off the losses on the calender for next year

 

[BAH HUMBBUG!]

do u think detroit will beat the 70 win season of the bulls?

They were actually 72-10

 

[DarthRekal]

Yeah, I knew the Lakers were top 10.... Before Sunday they were one of just NINE teams to have less than 20 losses. Not saying alot for the NBA elite this year... but all the same, less than 20 losses isn't bad. Then when you factor in the amount of "heartbreaker" losses (games decided by 5 points or less)... the Lakers could easily have the second or third best record in the NBA. They really haven't been blown out, and they're playing better each game.

Kobe's 81 point game may have some positive backlash here. Since then, he's been up on his assists, and at least 5 Laker players has scored over 10 points. Tonight vs. NY... and truthfully, Sunday vs. Detroit were good examples of how this team can play together. Too bad most of the game vs. Detroit they went stagnent... but they "could've" won that game, and they did win in NY convincingly tonight.

I expect a much cleaner record in the second half of the season. The games they loss by 5 points will be the games they win by 5 points. If they turned that one stat around in the season so far, they'd have about 10 more wins (10 less losses puts them in second place). This year, they'll make the playoffs. A few off-season pieces moved into place, and next year they'll make a strong playoff run. Unfortunately, the key to all of this is Odom. He's still not performing like he should.... and whilst they can cover him sometimes, he needs to step it up. Two years under Phil Jackson, and he'll be a good swing-man/second scorer.

So now, the ultimate question: since the Knicks didn't get Jackson... and apparently were happy to "settle" for Larry Brown (because he's the only REAL coach of the two... turning sub-standard teams into playoff contenders, whilst Jackson only can coach champs, apparently...) who got the better deal?

Sorry Equint... Phil is having a measure of success in LA, and NY.... well, NY are already marking off the losses on the calender for next year

nice post... excelent post rather.... ugly game last night..sorry equint..i hate it when the officials dont lets the guys play....

 

[Cudzo]

i agree, except the point where he said that they " could've " won in Detroit.. no they couldn't have. If L.A. plays thier best, and Detroit Plays thier worst, maybe the Lakers barely win. But all things being equal ( if both teams play to the level of play we expect them to) Detroit will win that game more often than not.
Detroit lost last night to the Nets ( omg, we've been exposed.!!!... riiiiight) cuase they sleptwalked through most ofthe game and settled for trying to many three's. If they play to the level most of us expect, they win that game.
Now, from some peoples point of view, the rest of the lakers aren't nearly as untallented as they are made out to be. Rather, they can never get into anykind of rythme do to amount of time Kobe spends with the ball. I can't watch Laker games that much ( east coast west coast thing), but i've read several columnists say that, and heard it from sir charles barkley. You want Odom to start playing to his potential? Get him the ball more often. And do you really see that problem changing? Oh, by the way, beating argueably the worst team in the NBA (the knicks) should not be your measuring stick.

 

[DarthRekal]

i agree, except the point where he said that they " could've " won in Detroit.. no they couldn't have. If L.A. plays thier best, and Detroit Plays thier worst, maybe the Lakers barely win. But all things being equal ( if both teams play to the level of play we expect them to) Detroit will win that game more often than not.
Detroit lost last night to the Nets ( omg, we've been exposed.!!!... riiiiight) cuase they sleptwalked through most ofthe game and settled for trying to many three's. If they play to the level most of us expect, they win that game.
Now, from some peoples point of view, the rest of the lakers aren't nearly as untallented as they are made out to be. Rather, they can never get into anykind of rythme do to amount of time Kobe spends with the ball. I can't watch Laker games that much ( east coast west coast thing), but i've read several columnists say that, and heard it from sir charles barkley. You want Odom to start playing to his potential? Get him the ball more often. And do you really see that problem changing? Oh, by the way, beating argueably the worst team in the NBA (the knicks) should not be your measuring stick.

you're right about the pistons...we can only hope to catch them slipping in order to beat them..... but you have it on hearsay..cud..just liek you said..i have watched practically ALL the lakers games this year....this year more than ANY other year... we NEED kobe to ball hog...odom is WAY too inconsistent....the supporting cast is atrocious...smush parker?? you guys(detroit) cut him... he would be a astarter in the d league if we didnt sign him..... mihm????? sasha????? no way are we underrating these guys...if anything they are playing over their heads this season......barkley has always been anti-laker..take his comments with a grain of salt...i've seen games where kobe does nothing BUT pass the ball and we lose....we have a d list cast and i'm surprised we are this good...frankly i'm happy with where we are.....

 

[Kipobe]

Well, when I said the Lakers could've won, I was referring to that specific game, where Detroit couldn't even get into an offensive set for most of the 4th quarter. Sadly though, neither could LA. Funnily enough, because Kobe was passing TOO much. I saw several plays where Kobe touched the ball 3 times in one posession and never once took a shot. That's ridiculous.

Truth is, the bigger problem isn't the lack of talent on the team. I know I attack that occasionally, but I'm quite happy with this teams potential despite the lack of big names. Phil Jackson has worked with everyone individually it seems, and they can all make shots... only when they're in their comfort zone. Why are they out of their comfort zone? Because 80% of the team are still LEARNING the triangle. Once they've got that into a smooth rythmn things will be better... but my concern with Odom is his lack of interest or initiative.

People attack Kobe no end. You mentioned Charles Barkley... well, Charles admitted that he wouldn't pass it to them either if they were on his team. Funny thing is, Kobe DOES pass... but it won't show up on the stat sheet if they don't make the shot. And someone he should have to worry less about is Odom. Odom should be able to be a second spark... and he's not. He should be able to take over the game occassionally, and he doesn't. He doesn't command the ball, and he doesn't work for it. He could easily be one of the best defensive players in the league... as well as a clutch shooter and a monster in the low post... never mind his natural ability to take people off the dribble... but he doesn't. Nothing to do with Kobe... but he doesn't have that drive or sense of leadership. He's never really had it. But the triangle will make him look even worse at first... that's why I said in my above post "give him two years under Jackson to get his act straight".

And like I said before, a few of those losses going the other way, and LA would be an elite team (top 5+) So, all in all, I can't be upset... but I don't blame Kobe. He's made a heavy impact on this team and Jackson is using him perfectly. No, he wont average 12 assists a game... but that doesn't mean he's not a passer. So many games I've seen him pass on the big shot... but the ballhog comments still come up. He's learning what it means to get the team involved, but he needs the team to work well... and that will only come with time.

Like I said, I expect a stronger Laker team for the second half of the season. Many of the 5-point losses will be 5-point wins... and their confidence and skill will grow. Just takes time.

 

[Stringer]

I think the Lakers will play a similar second half. Not better or worse. That may change if some other players besides Kobe find sometype of offensive rhythm, however.