Offical 2009-10 NBA Season Thread

[bigmike23]

whoops i thought allen was talking about boston

CP, Daniels ant really done much this year and house is good for 1 playoff game every year. dude is a %$*@#%+ BUM

Davis is alright but with all the big guns back is he going to be getting shots like he did last year that made him look good? i dont think so

the upside tho is in a 7 game playoffs i see the magic been the only ones that could beat them in the east

 

[al3xis]

the upside tho is in a 7 game playoffs i see the magic been the only ones that could beat them in the east
Cavs Lebron can. 2 years later after forcing that thing to 7 games, i think he could pull itoff.

To me..

Boston the edge over ORL
ORL the edge over Cleveland
Cleveland the edge over Boston

 

[CP1708]

I hope you right Mike, I hope Boston falls flat on their face. No tears would be shed by me.

And if Atlanta beats Cleveland in the playoffs, I would get banned on impact. I would be all over Cav fans, I would be sayin so much @#$% I'd........well, I guess nothing would change, but anyways, it would be awesome around here.

 

[bigmike23]

what cost them beating boston tho that year? brons lack of help and it comes down to the same thing

he can do only so much himself COUGH magic Serise

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by Al3xis


Cleveland the edge over Boston

Not a friggin chance in hell. Come on.

I get what you sayin about Bron, but now it's not just KG back there to run interference, but also Sheed. And Sheed can pull Shaq out the lane and givethe Celts easy looks to the basket. No way Bron can make up for ALL of that. No way.

 

[airmaxpenny1]

Boston will run Cleveland off the court.

If Atlanta and Cleveland somehow met, I wouldn't be surprised if ATL won...

 

[bangdak]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

the upside tho is in a 7 game playoffs i see the magic been the only ones that could beat them in the east

Cavs Lebron can. 2 years later after forcing that thing to 7 games, i think he could pull it off.

To me..

Boston the edge over ORL Orlando > C's
ORL the edge over Cleveland
Cleveland the edge over Boston Atl. > Lebron.


im interested in seeing how the top 4 teams in east play out.
i think boston can play well against Atl, but i have an feeling atl would outrun them if it can go to 7 games. bibbys old though, and JJ never shows up inplayoffs, so its an tough one.

 

[japanair21]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

but when you are old, playoffs are the only thing that matter.

and there is no chance in hell they can beat LA in 7 games.

If we had to face LA, I'd rather get a high seed, and wait to play them in the WCF, if we were to face them early in the Playoffs, Iwouldn't like our chances. I'm not saying we will ever be favored against them, but stranger things have happened in the Playoffs, like Detroit beatingthe Lakers.

ANYONE can get lucky, ANYONE can have a chance.

You'll never catch me saying I think we're favored, but all you need is a shot.

 

[al3xis]

Sheed is garbage. Perk is getting all that playing time, come semi finals or ecf, sheed aint seein more than 15 minutes.


Lebron dominates the ball (has to) in the playoffs more so than ever, he may not shoot it well some nights, but there going to be in just about every game.

ie even when he was shooting horribly and couldn't get off for most of the 08 series, they were right there to win except game 2. Less possessions + moreLeBron = tight games.

he can do only so much himself COUGH magic Serise
true, but boston is not orlando for the cavs.

Atl. > Lebron.
the team that didn't come within 10 points of him in a game in that sweep last year?

that is a body bag series waiting to happen, again.

 

[japanair21]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

Atl. > Lebron.

the team that didn't come within 10 points of him in a game in that sweep last year?

that is a body bag series waiting to happen, again.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah they ain't stoppin' Bron and the boys.

As far as second options go, who was the second option in Detroit? What about Miami?

I honestly think a "second option," is kind of overrated. As long as you got guys who contribute every night. We may not have that SECOND OPTION, butwe have a ton of guys who can step up and give us 20. Josh, Marion, and JET. Then we have another group of guys who can pitch in for another 10, like Dampier,JJ, Kidd, etc.

Plus if we get some CONSISTENCY on defense, we have a great 1-5 defensively we can throw out there.

Kidd, Josh, Marion, Dirk, Dampier.

Josh and Marion did a HELL of a job against Durant the other night. Kidd can still guard MOST guards, especially combo's. He has trouble with speedy PGsthough. Dirk does great against guys his size like Duncan, and Dampier is most effective when he has someone who's around his size.

 

[i nasmatic i]

I like Dallas and all, but they still have no second option. Dirk has been phenomenal as usual, no knocks on him. Kiddis still a quality playmaker, but he's past his prime. Marion does all the little things, but he isn't a reliable scorer. Howard's been nicked upfor the past two seasons and disappears too much. JET can score in bunches, but is susceptible to shooting droughts. Damp is in a contract year, which meanshe's giving it all he's got but I don't think that will be enough

. JJBand Roddy are nice changes of pace, but can be exposed easily. Gooden, Thomas and Humphries have their moments but can be easily invisible.

I would like to see Dirk succeed but this team can be exposed come playoff time in my eyes.

 

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

Sheed is garbage. Perk is getting all that playing time, come semi finals or ecf, sheed aint seein more than 15 minutes.

i will agree with allen on this one, if sheed cant score he brings nothing to the table since perk can play post defense right now better then him

 

[bangdak]

Mia has no real second option. thats why they're not suceeding.
Beas, and JO and 2-a and 2-b. (in no specific order)


Jet is too inconsistent, and howard needs to stay on the damn court.Gooden/Dampier is an good frontcourt. Dampiers been holding his ground against the bigger5's, while gooden matches up welll with the smaller and faster ones.

and Kidd can not hold his ground against most pgs. maybe dfisher, and nash, but thats it. aint no way hes going to be able to keep up with the youngins likecp3, deron, and brooks.

i would love to see dirk succeed though...

 

[bigmike23]

As far as second options go, who was the second option in Detroit? What about Miami?
wait what???

 

[JD617]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

boston lack of bench is going to cost them 2nd half/playoff time

Glen Davis Comes back but Ray and PP will still be playing major minutes and the bums behind them bring nothing to the table

Nah, man. That was an issue last year, but their bench has been fine so far this season. Pierce, Ray, and KG are all playing less minutes than they did thelast 2 seasons. Not one guy on the team is averaging over 35 minutes a game. The Celtics have survived for decent stretches with a lineup of Eddie, Marquis,Sheed, Shelden, and one of the starters, usually Ray.

 

[japanair21]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

As far as second options go, who was the second option in Detroit? What about Miami?

wait what???
Who was the second option in Miami when Wade won a championship?

Shaq? He wasn't a reliable second option.

Detroit had a squad of 5 guys.

 

[i nasmatic i]

You mean when Shaq was still averaging 18-20 PPG in 06?

 

[japanair21]

Originally Posted by I NaSmatic I

You mean when Shaq was still averaging 18-20 PPG in 06?

14 PPG in the Finals,

 

[bigmike23]

ok but shaq was still a legit 2nd option

and dallas is not a team like the pistons was

 

[japanair21]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

ok but shaq was still a legit 2nd option

and dallas is not a team like the pistons was

There are always exceptions, are there not?

That's why the game is still 16 teams.

Detroit was 3rd in the East when they won.

San Anton was 3rd in the West, 9 games behind first when they won in 07.

I'm just saying, if you have a good enough team, which we may have enough to get some playoff success this year, you can go as far as your TEAM takes you.

More often than not, it's not a SECOND option, it's the whole team playing well.

09- Ariza, Fisher, Kobe, Pau, all playing good.
08- All those dudes on the Celtics played good
07- Finley, Manu, TP, TD
06- Wade, Shaq, Haslem, Posey.

It's not as much a "second go-to guy," as it is having guys step up and playing their heart out when it all matters.

Do you EXPECT guys like Ariza and Posey and Leon Powe to play great in the Finals before they happen? No, but those three guys are pivotal to 3 of the 4championships recently. Ariza provided so much in the Finals last year it was ridiculous.

 

[bhzmafia14]

A lot of teams will give Rudy Gay a look next summer if his game continues to climb.

Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
[h1]Grizzlies' Gay joining group of younger players on the cusp[/h1]
Posted Dec 17 2009 10:36AM

Everyone wants to know who's got next. On the playground, that means the next game. In the NBA, that means the next star.

Every year, about a dozen young players strain to reach the next level, and roughly a half-dozen fail, because as Hawks coach Mike Woodson said, "It's tough to take the big step up and become an All-Star. People just don't know about the hard work that's needed. The dedication. The effort. It doesn't happen overnight. And it doesn't happen to just anyone."

After five or six years, if a player isn't an All-Star, chances are he'll never become one. He may make a comfortable living, become a big part of a championship team, maybe even play long enough to get a nice pension. But never a star. Never quite "star" enough.

Another group is making a run this year and a fair number should finally break through. Deron Williams is as close to a guarantee as it gets. Rajon Rondo, Andre Iguodala and Josh Smith, to name a few others, will have a shot.

And Rudy Gay. He's typical of the players on the fence, someone with obvious talent who just needs the benefit of time and to add to his game to get universal respect in the basketball world.

It's all starting to come together for Gay. What sets his case apart are the other factors.

He plays for a team that struggles for attention and desperately needs a star, in light of the failed Allen Iverson experiment. As a restricted free agent next summer, he's playing for money.

This presents a perplexing situation. On one hand, the Grizzlies would love for Gay to have a breakout season, roust interest in a city that's yawning right now at pro basketball, and help the team make a surprise push toward the playoffs. And yet, if he does all of that and chips in an All-Star appearance, will they be able to afford him next season?

The better he plays, the more he drives up his value, and the less likely Memphis will be able to write a check big enough to either pay him or match another team's offer. The Grizzlies aren't a big-market team by any stretch, nor do they have the Knicks' budget. If anything, the realities of the recession are hurting the franchise as much, if not more, than others. In a recent promotion, they lowered some seats to $3 for their game against Oklahoma City, partly to celebrate the team's three-game winning streak (including back-to-back wins against the Mavs and Cavs) but also with the hopes of a sellout. The cheap seats were a hit, but the announced crowd of just over 13,000 came up short of a full house.

The Grizzlies originally hoped Iverson would help solve the attendance problem. Now they can only hope that the fans in Memphis realize the team isn't as bad as the last few years. Gay is a big part of that.

"I just had to become more aggressive than in the past," he said. "That was really the only thing holding me back. I had to attack more and accept more responsibility, and I have."

He's averaging 21 points a game, slightly more than the last two years, but his game is more well-rounded. He's pushing career highs in rebounds and steals as well. He's also not always motivated to make the spectacular dunk anymore -- although if the situation presents itself, Gay is willing to oblige.

His pattern of appearing and disappearing in games followed him from Connecticut. His talent was obvious, but Gay didn't realize how good he could be. Now he does. And so do others.

He's on the short list of players who would be a big help to LeBron James and/or Dwyane Wade, wherever those franchise free agents land in 2010-11. Wade would love to have Gay in Miami, especially after Gay dropped a career-high 41 points on Wade last Sunday. That wasn't merely by accident. That was a message sent.

Figure that LeBron wouldn't mind having Gay in New York as a co-star, should LeBron leave Cleveland for the big city.

"It's definitely flattering," Gay said.

Memphis didn't extend Gay's contract last summer. It was business, nothing personal, and Gay said he understood. But teams have taken note of the Grizzlies' financial plight and might swoop for a steal come next July.

"It's hard to say what might happen," he said. "So many things will come into play. I'll just wait and, in the meantime, concentrate on what I can do this season for this team."

If he keeps his current pace, he'll be in the running for a reserve spot on the All-Star team, assuming Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant have two small forward spots locked up. It helps that the Grizzlies are not the team that averaged 23 wins the last three years, with Zach Randolph and O.J. Mayo giving Memphis second and third options.

"That would be my dream, to be an All-Star," Gay said. "That's what I've been striving for."

I didn't think about it, but Gay really can make the all-star team this year. If Memphis anywhere close to .500 and in the playoff hunt, hewill definitely be in there.

 

[bigmike23]

Mike D'Antoni is a HORRIBLE head coach

how do you let your team take 45 3 point shots IN ONE GAME

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

Mike D'Antoni is a HORRIBLE head coach

how do you let your team take 45 3 point shots IN ONE GAME

Wait...

I thought you were just playing around. 16-47 from downtown?

Bang, explain this to me please. Any team with some sense would not take that many damn 3's in a game. Is that a record? Duhon, Gall and Harrington took 38by themselves!

 

[bangdak]

theres just no excuse for that.

they were 7-13 in the first quarter, and went for aroundn 1-16 in the 2nd.
if them things arent dropping, STOP SHOOTING THEM. goddamit. i cant stand this +#!!#%% team.

 

[bhzmafia14]

I thought common sense would tell you to start driving the ball more if they aren't falling. I don't know if D'Antoni said, "its ok guys, justkeep shooting." or just didn't say nothing at all. The sad thing is that they still almost beat the Bulls. I think they were up at the end of the 3rd.