The Official NBA Regular Season 07-08 Thread

[Billy Bibbit]

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How was that Pistons team any different from the team that lost to SA in the finals the next year?

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The only significant roster difference was the noticeable decline of Ben Wallace. It's hard to explain why the team has gotten worse and worse every year since they won the title. It'd be frustrating to be a fan of them.

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As a Spurs fan, the Lakers pissed me off mightily that year. They played by far the best basketball of any team all year against the Spurs in the 2nd round, knocked aside the pretender Twolves and then completely imploded against Detroit. Either SA or MIN would have been favorites over DET, but the Lakers squandered it all.

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I think the Pistons were more impressive against the Pacers and the Lakers. But yes, the Lakers played incredibly well against the Spurs, and ran well too.

If you think the Wolves were better than the Pistons, LOL. If you're just saying they would've been favored by most people, you might be right.

[tuq]

I find this Lakers discussion kinda hot. I don't have much of an opinion that isn't statistics-based, and even then I don't care that much. On the one hand I was always a Karl Malone fan even though he was a dirty player (Stockton was arguably WAY dirtier) and the Suns had to deal with them a lot during their careers. On the other I hate to see a guy who scored more points than anyone but Kareem and who had the misfortune of peaking during the same time as MJ come away with no ring.

On my 30th birthday in 2003 I was in Durango, Colorado, watching the NBA at a sports bar. The Spurs eliminated the Lakers that day. It was a nice birthday present. People in Phoenix are tired of Lakers fans invading their home arena; it's been pleasurable to beat them in the playoffs the last two years (someone upthread posted about how the Lakers "almost" beat the Suns two years ago; no, son, the Lakers were handed game 4 via really bad officiating that every camera and talking head will corroborate. The Suns winning that series avoided a mini-disaster for the NBA at least on par with the suspension fiasco last season). It's like I imagine some Sox fans must feel when they are supposed to root for the Yankees because of some weird circumstance - it's impossible to do, you just can't rewrite your DNA like that.

[Artdogg]

I actually thought the Pistons were better than the Spurs that year, this after I thought they had no chance going in. For some reason I hated the Pistons more at the time too, now it's no contest, one team is dirty one isn't. If I remember correctly the Pistons who won the title did have Okur and Mike James and the following year they didn't, not sure if that made a difference.

[Billy Bibbit]

I've had enough time to watch every team play once or twice by now. There's a lot of things I like about the NBA this year, and a few things that I don't like.

Good things:

1. Rashard Lewis getting a max contract and balling like crazy in Orlando. Who says you have to get fat and lazy after a new deal, and who says it takes time for a new team to gel? This team has terrific chemistry right from the start.

2. Memphis, Sacramento, and Indiana with new coaches that are making them run up and down the court. These teams aren't very good, but at least they're playing hard and they're a lot more fun to watch than they were last year.

3. LA Lakers finally getting some good role players in Derek Fisher, Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar, and Ronny Turiaf. And, I guess, Kobe for not mailing it in, despite his trade demand.

4. Deron Williams picking up right where he left off last year, and Chris Paul getting even better. David West deserves a mention here too, because this guy is balling.

5. In general, the revival of the center position with Yao Ming, Dwight Howard, and a bunch of solid or good young centers in Milicic, Bynum, Chris Kaman, Emeka Okafor, Andris Biedrins, and even Andrew Bogut who I think is playing a lot better this year (though I haven't seen much of the Bucks yet). We've come a long way from 2002 when a number of people thought Michael Olowokandi was the second best center in the NBA, or 2004 when Jamaal Magloire made an All-Star team.

6. Two #2 pick "busts" finally becoming useful players in the NBA. Darko Milicic will clearly never be worth that pick but he's an above average starting center putting up 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and solid defense. And Marvin Williams who is still 21, is playing really, really well although for some reason no one is talking about him. He still has a chance to be the best player in his draft class.

7. The Boston Celtics. I don't like this team, but I have to give to credit to Danny Ainge (whom I never thought was that bad). He hung in there and kept trying to accumulate good young players by making small trades, and when the time was right, he put together better offers for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett than any other team. I wish more bad teams would do things this way, rather than trading all their good players and praying for a savior in the lottery.


Bad things:

1. The Sonics probably moving to Oklahoma City. I understand why it's happening but there aren't 30 better NBA cities. I hate seeing teams leave their fans in the dust like this.

2. Jermaine O'Neal and Pau Gasol. The rest of their teams look much improved, but man these guys are doing nothing now that they're not playing in systems that regularly dump them the basketball on the blocks so they can go 1 on 5. O'Neal is whining about "not having fun" and I'll bet Gasol isn't far behind. Makes you wonder whether they care more about stats than wins. At least O'Neal is playing good defense, I'll give him that.

3. Minnesota playing like a bunch of goons. They know they don't have much talent so their solution seems to be to keep the score low by grinding games out and committing too many hard fouls. Someone is going to get injured against them this year. Some of the other bad teams in the NBA are at least trying to put an entertaining product on the floor.

4. Cleveland's truly awful supporting cast. LeBron James should be the MVP just for getting this team to the playoffs, though in the real world Kevin Garnett will probably win. Anderson Varejao and his agent deserve special mention for overplaying their hand. If this stunt actually gets him more money in the long run, I'll eat my socks.

5. Washington falling apart in a year when its best players are playing for contracts and gunning for individual stats. 2002-03 LA Clippers, anyone? That team was projected to do damage in the playoffs and went 27-55, and the Wizards are headed in that direction unless something changes.

6. Chicago. Nuff said.

7. Miami worst record in the East. OK, I lied, this one actually makes me really happy, but I'm trying to be unbiased here. The thing is, Shaq is actually playing better than I expected; if he ever gets hurt, this team is really screwed. A shout out to all the other SE posters who like me, picked this team to be in the lottery this year.

Overall, I'm enjoying this season a lot and I think the league has already gotten a lot better since that mediocre Miami team won a championship two years ago. That was one of my low points as a sports fan.

[kidcolin]

Just a nitpick:

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In general, the revival of the center position with Yao Ming, Dwight Howard, and a bunch of solid or good young centers in Milicic, Bynum, Chris Kaman, Emeka Okafor, Andris Biedrins, and even Andrew Bogut who I think is playing a lot better this year (though I haven't seen much of the Bucks yet).

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He's (currently) beyond solid and his name belongs with Yao and Dwight. He's arguably playing better than Yao.

[sethypooh21]

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3. Minnesota playing like a bunch of goons. They know they don't have much talent so their solution seems to be to keep the score low by grinding games out and committing too many hard fouls. Someone is going to get injured against them this year. Some of the other bad teams in the NBA are at least trying to put an entertaining product on the floor.

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This team tilts me. Why are Buckner and Walker seeing so much clock? Walker I can at least understand because he's got the most balls of anyone on a team sorely lacking in said 'nads. Also, Rashad McCants is Vince Carter without the talent. Not only is he individually murdering the team by his unrepentant gunning, don't give a [censored] attitude and ATROCIOUS D, he's crippling Corey Brewer's development by forcing Brewer to, at 185 lbs, guard small forwards. Against NO last week, the Hornets ran the same play 10 straight time for Peja where he came off a simple rub where West or Chandler would just blow Brewer up and Peja would knock down a J. How bad must Gerald Green be to not get any run?

[IrishHand]

I'm inclined to agree with Clarkmeister on GGreen. He's athletic, but he's a bad basketball player and a worse basketball brain. The kid is clueless, really. It's hard to stand out for cluelessness in summer league, but Green succeed.

[tuq]

Billy,

That's some good analyzin' right there. I too enjoy Miami's troubles, and am happy that my preseason conjecture on them has proven to be accurate thus far.

IrishHand, hilarious avatar.

[Veecee]

LOOOOOOOOOOL the Knicks are so dumb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udfYNQJaImw

[BobboFitos]

big trade, cook for ariza. any thoughts? GOGOGOGO