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2016-17 NBA Season


PittsburghSucks

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1 hour ago, Josh.0 said:

My money is on a three-peat Finals matchup barring injury. The real question is -- who's the runner up in the conferences if the Warriors or Cavs falter?

 

Spurs? Rockets? Raptors? Hawks? Heat?

 

Miami's season could already be over due to the Bosh medical issue (blood clots) and the battle between him and the team since they won't clear him. Plus if he is out for a calendar year, Feb. 9, 2017, the Heat can apply for immediate cap relief or if he plays nine games or fewer.

 

 

 

Bosh is taking his case to be cleared public. Very public.

 

The Heat had a Wednesday, Sept. 7 deadline to use a stretch provision on Bosh that would allow Miami to cut him and spread his $76 million remaining in cap hits over seven years and failed to invoke it.

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I don't want to watch Chris Bosh kill himself. He doesn't need the money. He's not going to win any more championships. He doesn't need to prove anything to anyone else. I appreciate that an athlete of his caliber wants to go out on his own terms, but the risk can't be worth it.

 

The Warriors have had outstanding injury luck the past two seasons. Steph is in a great situation to stay healthy, but maybe he won't. Maybe Draymond loses his mind. Maybe Durant decides being up to fourth banana isn't so fun. Maybe Klay....continues to be as good as he's always been.

 

I don't know. The season would be more interesting if the Warriors didn't feel inevitable. Anything can happen, as last year's playoffs showed. But it sure feels like a Warriors title is waiting to happen.

 

 

I'm rooting for the beginning of a Lakers' resurgence. Russell looks like a star. Ingram will be up and down but could be great. Nance Jr. is good. Randle is decent. They're likely two years away, but getting to 30-ish wins seems like a reachable goal.

1 hour ago, ShutUpLutz! said:

and the drunken doodoobags jumping off the tops of SUV's/vans/RV's onto tables because, oh yeah, they are drunken drug abusing doodoobags

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The Warriors will... not make it back to the Finals. I think Cleveland has the best chance of getting out of the East. I just feel like some Western Conference team is going to be better than expected and become a legitimate championship contender.

 

The Lakers goal should be 30 wins. I believe they now have the ability to do it since they actually have a good coach. The Lakers should be really good within 5 years. 

Cowboys - Lakers - LAFC - USMNT - LA Rams - LA Kings - NUFC 

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That's sad, but hopefully he'll shut it down.

 

Or become the GM of the Miami Heat and feud with Hassan Whiteside, a once-unliked role player who steadily improved, never over exerted himself and annoyingly rose to the top.

 

There could be a show after each game called "Heat Check" where GM Chris Bosh and a beautiful woman talk to random players, further storylines, and extend interpersonal feuds.  It'll be great.

1 hour ago, ShutUpLutz! said:

and the drunken doodoobags jumping off the tops of SUV's/vans/RV's onto tables because, oh yeah, they are drunken drug abusing doodoobags

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I feel there are 3 teams that'll challenge Cleveland:

 

1. Toronto - A healthy Demarre Carroll & JV looking like he could break out after his playoff run (He just needs the ball in his hands more). It's ECF/Finals or bust for the Raptors this year. 

 

2. Boston - Seems to be the team people think could cause a scare. Adding Al Horford is a nice piece to a team full of great players. 

 

3. Detroit - My sleeper team. Added a great amount of bench depth, have a young  core that's steadily improving & a beast in Andre Drummond.  

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2 hours ago, DG_Now said:

That's sad, but hopefully he'll shut it down.

 

Or become the GM of the Miami Heat and feud with Hassan Whiteside, a once-unliked role player who steadily improved, never over exerted himself and annoyingly rose to the top.

 

There could be a show after each game called "Heat Check" where GM Chris Bosh and a beautiful woman talk to random players, further storylines, and extend interpersonal feuds.  It'll be great.

I am not sure that he will do anything NBA-related initially.  He kinda has other interests as mentioned during his "Any Given Wednesday" interview and one with the NBAP.

 

What he could immediately do is finally put together the footage he has with him, LeBron and Wade coming together. 

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EAST

  1. Cleveland Cavaliers.  The reigning World Champions kept their core together and I imagine some more minor moves to fill holes, but the Cavs should be right back where they left off in June. 60-22.*
  2. Boston Celtics. There will be a rat race for the Atlantic division crown between Toronto and Boston, as both teams will feast on the 3 other sub-par clubs all season long. Al Horford will fit in nicely on a team that features a lot of good, young talent. I see Boston winning over 50 games for the first time since 2010-11.  55-27. *
  3. Indiana Pacers. Going completely under the radar for the most part, the Pacers may have done the most for themselves this off-season, flipping George Hill for Jeff Teague and also adding Al Jefferson and Thaddeus Young to a squad that already features Paul George and Myles Turner. They appear to have one of the best starting lineups in the East and also have the depth to go along with it. 54-28.
  4. Atlanta Hawks. There seems to be quite a bit of parity in the southeast division, but even after losing Al Horford, the Hawks are the best of the bunch. Dwight Howard has had a massive fall from grace since leaving Orlando, but seems to fit more naturally in the East. There will be a bit of a transition phase for Schroder in the starting slot, but once things get rolling I see the Atlanta taking the division. 47-35.*
  5. Toronto Raptors. Essentially the same squad that took the Cavs to 7 games in the ECF, the Raptors will pick up right where they left off. The Atlantic Division crown is no longer theirs, but the Raptors remain one of the East's elite. 53-29.
  6. Detroit Pistons. Andre Drummond will be a year better and the rest of the squad is extremely well-balanced. They made some minor off-season moves to add some depth, which I think will pay off and equate to a few extra wins. 47-35. 
  7. Washington Wizards. The Wizards finished just outside the playoffs last year, but with one of the best back courts in the game, they should get back on track. Plus a couple of playoff teams have taken steps backward. 44-38.
  8. Milwaukee Bucks. Injuries absolutely ravaged a Bucks team that had high expectations last year. A very solid, young starting five coupled with decent depth should make them a playoff bubble team - as long as they stay healthy. 42-40.
  9. Orlando Magic. The Magic are moving in the right direction, but are not quite there yet. A lot of young pieces in Payton, Fournier and Gordon plus the additions of Serge Ibaka and Biyombo to a weak front court will help.  They do have the makings of a dark horse and if everything comes together just right, they could even make a push for the top in a very mediocre division. 41-41.
  10. Miami Heat. They still feature a few solid pieces in Whiteside, Dragic and Winslow, but losing Luol Deng, Joe Johnson and especially leader Dwyane Wade will hurt their depth. 40-42.
  11. New York Knicks. They've got a good starting five (assuming Rose and Noah are well enough to play the majority of the season), but absolutely nothing beyond that. They could surprise some people, but I think these will be the same old Knicks. 38-44.     
  12. Chicago. A team that just 2 years ago was considered a legitimate title contender is now essentially Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo. Who knows how well these guys will mesh. It also doesn't help that they play in a fairly competitive division.
  13. Charlotte Hornets.  Jeremy Lin played well last year, but they've got Kemba Walker to fill that void. They managed to hang on to Batum, but losing Courtney Lee and especially Al Jefferson will be huge. An extremely thin front court keeps the Hornets from duplicating last year's success. 28-54.
  14. Brooklyn. Their best player is Brooke Lopez. Enough said. 21-61.
  15. Philadelphia. The (distant) future looks bright in Philly, with guys like Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel up front, but it's going to be a while before anyone takes them seriously. 11-71.

WEST

  1. Golden State Warriors. Featuring the scariest line-up in the league, the Warriors appear unstoppable. 69-13.*
  2. San Antonio Spurs. In their first season without franchise cornerstone Tim Duncan, the Spurs are still extremely well equipped win 60 games. 60-22.*
  3. LA Clippers. The Clips were thrown off the rails by injuries last year, but if they stay healthy, they're fully capable of balling with the rest of the big dogs in the West.  55-27.
  4. Utah Jazz. The Jazz appear to be the best team in the league's worst division. A bit more depth up front would help, but Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors will all be a year better and adding veterans George Hill and Joe Johnson to the mix will definitely work in their favor. 46-36.*
  5. Houston Rockets. Addition by subtraction in getting rid of Dwight Howard and adding Ryan Anderson, Nene and Eric Gordon adds depth to an already deep team. The Rockets could really surprise some folks. 50-32.
  6. Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies were a team that was absolutely decimated by injuries last year and barely limped into the playoffs. Adding Parsons to the same core that's been competitive the past few seasons should get the Grizzlies back into the thick of things. 48-34.
  7. Oklahoma City. Losing one the best players in the game to your biggest rival is a critical blow to a Thunder team that looked like a possible title favorite had Durant returned. They still feature one of the best point guards in the game who is good enough to carry the team on his back. Still, the Thunder barely sneak into the playoffs by playing in a division with much parity. 44-38.
  8. Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers really surprised me last season. I thought after the mass exodus of free agents last summer that they'd be among the worst in the West. Damian Lillard carried the team to fifth place in the West. With the Thunder now knocked off the top, the Northwest Division is there for the taking. However, I don't see them having quite the same success two seasons in a row. They have no depth, especially up front, but manage to sneak into the playoffs. 42-40.
  9. Dallas Mavericks. Adding Bogut up front and essentially replacing Parsons with Harrison Barnes should keep the Mavs fairly competitive, but playing in the league's toughest division won't help their cause and they miss the playoffs. 40-42.
  10. Minnesota Timberwolves. With one of the scariest duos in the league in Wiggins and Towns along with a lot of other solid pieces, the Wolves are quickly getting closer to becoming a serious force in the West. If everything comes together just right, they could make the jump into the playoffs in a very wide open division. The more likely outcome is that they improve on last year's record substantially but still fall just short of the playoffs. 40-42. 
  11. Sacramento Kings. The Kings appear to have adequate talent, but have failed to put it all together in seasons passed. With no major positive roster moves, I see the Kings right where they left off. 34-48. 
  12. New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans were trending up big time, but losing Anderson and Eric Gordon give them a massive lack of depth. Anthony Davis is one of the best big men in the league, but they also play in the best division in the league. 32-50.
  13. Denver. Filled with guys that showed some serious potential last year, the Nuggets seem to have the pieces in place for the future. 30-52.
  14. Phoenix Suns. After a very successful 2014-15 campaign, the Suns just couldn't get rolling last year. After a quiet off-season, I don't see any improvement. 25-57.
  15. LA Lakers. They're better with Luol Deng, but the Lakers are extremely young and thin. 15-67.

 

PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Cleveland over Milwaukee 4-0

Boston over Washington 4-1

Indiana over Detroit 4-2

Toronto over Atlanta 4-3

 

Cleveland over Toronto 4-2

Indiana over Boston 4-2

 

Cleveland over Indiana 4-3

 

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Golden State over Portland 4-0

San Antonio over  Oklahoma City 4-0

LA Clippers over Memphis 4-2

Houston over Utah 4-2

 

Golden State over Houston 4-1

San Antonio over LA Clippers 4-3

 

Golden State over San Antonio 4-1

 

FINALS- Golden State over Cleveland 4-1

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This is a weird year for me to look forwards to as a Jazz fan. Last year there was this feeling of "this is the year we'll make the playoffs", but since we came just short and now are a much improved team, its upped to "this REALLY SHOULD BE the year". Heck, there's people predicting we could win the division! So I'm extremely excited about that and I'm just about all in. But, part of me needs to see it to believe it.

 

In essence, I feel like a tale of two Jazz fans: I'm hyped up about the offseason improvements and I'm starting to buy into the idea that this team could finally make a whole lot of noise. I'm almost even confident they could win the division.

 

But...again, I know which team I'm talking about here, so...

 

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Raptors - same prediction I had last year... better, stronger team, likely fewer wins.  I think I'll be correct this time.

 

I'm excited for this season because we love a great villain, GSW.  With the Heatles we hated them because we were already sick of them before the season began.  With GSW, we hate them because we want them to score 117 a night & still choke on big games, reg season & playoffs alike.  We want them to be good so when they fall it's more epic.

 

I actually don't feel great about either GSW or CLE making to the Finals - implosion & LeBron fatigue respectively.  

I'll go OKC v BOS, Thunder in 6, & Westbrook a new sporting hero.

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@2001mark

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I figured with Durant making his home debut tonight, now is as good of a time as any. 

 

 

They're absolutely dismantling the Clips right now,which doesn't really matter because it's pre season, but it's a good look at what the Warriors are going to look like. Overall, absolutely scary. Same deadly outside shooting but a much stronger scoring presence in the paint. I can't see anyone beating this team barring injuries or another run at the record. 

 

 

 

So, NBA thoughts? 

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On 11/19/2012 at 7:23 PM, oldschoolvikings said:
She’s still half convinced “Chris Creamer” is a porn site.)
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