NBA 2010

[ghost]

I love how no one gives props to the Spurs year after year.  That said I was more confident of them a few weeks ago before their slide but I still think they have it in them to go all the way.  LOS SPURS 

The Spurs are a dangerous team, no doubt.  They've got a lot of savvy leadership and good team play.  They don't have the horses to defend against a truly talented team like the Lakers, and I think that Orlando would give them fits because of Howard.  I would love to see them win it though.

[Morfiend]

I want to amend my prediction. I don't think Boston can do it any more. Not since the Perkins trade. They are playing like crap, and they have no real threat in the middle. Not to mention that team chemistry seems to be shot to shit.

[Paelos]

I want to amend my prediction. I don't think Boston can do it any more. Not since the Perkins trade. They are playing like crap, and they have no real threat in the middle. Not to mention that team chemistry seems to be shot to shit.

Pffft. They simply don't care and aren't playing out the season. I wouldn't take anything from their play over the last 10 games.

[ghost]

Here's a pretty decent article talking about the contenders from ESPN.

13. Atlanta Hawks
Six reasons we need a lockout ...

$16,324,500
$18,038,573
$19,752,645
$21,466,718
$23,180,790
$24,894,863

That's what Atlanta owes Joe Johnson, by year, through 2016. You know, because any time you can totally overpay someone hitting his 30s who isn't one of the best 15 players in the league, you have to do it.

[Paelos]

Apparently the WNBA had a draft, and it gets a highlight segment on ESPN. Do we really have to keep justifying this sport? Aren't there better things to empower women than pretending that they are relevant in basketball or we should care? Oh and god help you if you're a broadcaster and you don't kiss their asses publically. That would be wrong.

Does the league make money? No. Does it have a hope of making money or actually commanding television dollars above on par with the other professional leagues? Not unless you count the MLS as a relevant league. Even if you do, the WNBA finals last year still got beat by the MLS finals in a down year. Hell, one of the teams in the WNBA final was in my own city, and nobody gave a shit.

Jokingly in Atlanta we say if you're white, you follow the Braves. If you're black, you follow the Hawks. If you're drunk, you follow the Thrashers. If you have a pulse, you follow the Falcons. If you're lost, you follow the Dream.

[Cyrrex]

Thunder actually have an chance to nab the number 2 seed in the west, which is insane.  I hope they make it deep into the playoffs...I'm fucking tired of the Lakers and Celtics.

[Threash]

Seems like pretty soon the East is going to be Boston and Miami and no one else.

Boston is done, they are too old.  The only way they can even contend in the playoffs is by shutting down during the season.  It worked last year, they basically quit playing after christmas and got to the Finals, this year they had to fight harder and it has cost them.  The east is going to be Miami and Chicago and whoever wins the Dwight Howard lotto, if it's New Jersey and they keep Deron they are instant contenders.  Chicago might not even get past the second round this year, they are likely facing Orlando and after Howard knocks Rose on his ass a couple of times the Bulls are going to be left without an offense, either through injury or by Rose becoming a shooter instead of a driver.

[ghost]

Both the Spurs and the Celtics have been in "shut it down" mode for the past month or so.  I expect them to be formidable in the playoffs.

[Threash]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3OXVegfbIA&feature=player_embedded

 

[WayAbvPar]

Thunder actually have an chance to nab the number 2 seed in the west, which is insane.  I hope they make it deep into the playoffs...I'm fucking tired of the Lakers and Celtics.

I, on the other hand, hope they never win another game. Fuck Clay Bennett in his inbred lying asshole.

[Cyrrex]

Thunder actually have an chance to nab the number 2 seed in the west, which is insane.  I hope they make it deep into the playoffs...I'm fucking tired of the Lakers and Celtics.

I, on the other hand, hope they never win another game. Fuck Clay Bennett in his inbred lying asshole.

Don't get me wrong, I hate the the fact that they moved and the whole way it went down.  I was a huge Sonics fan, though, so they are still the team I root for, no matter what.  Most sports teams owners can go fuck themselves.

[ghost]

It's a business that is focused on making money, which makes the move from Seattle so weird.  I don't think they are in any better position now than they were in Seattle.

[Morfiend]

Seems like pretty soon the East is going to be Boston and Miami and no one else.

Boston is done, they are too old.  The only way they can even contend in the playoffs is by shutting down during the season.  It worked last year, they basically quit playing after christmas and got to the Finals, this year they had to fight harder and it has cost them.  The east is going to be Miami and Chicago and whoever wins the Dwight Howard lotto, if it's New Jersey and they keep Deron they are instant contenders.  Chicago might not even get past the second round this year, they are likely facing Orlando and after Howard knocks Rose on his ass a couple of times the Bulls are going to be left without an offense, either through injury or by Rose becoming a shooter instead of a driver.

I watched a ton of NBA at the beginning of the season, and then for various reasons, I didnt get to much the second half. During the first half Boston was a machine. They where too old and too tired, yet they just steamrolled everyone. I think it had to do with them having amazing chemistry and really knowing each other. I think this Perkins/Robinson trade really fucked that up.

The Thunder and Bulls for me are this years "Wait, who?" teams. Kind of came out of nowhere, for me anyway.

I hope the Heat choke in the first round. I don't think they will, but it would be fantastic if they did.

[Paelos]

Atlanta is going to suuuuuuuuuuuuck in the playoffs.

[Threash]

Seems like pretty soon the East is going to be Boston and Miami and no one else.

Boston is done, they are too old.  The only way they can even contend in the playoffs is by shutting down during the season.  It worked last year, they basically quit playing after christmas and got to the Finals, this year they had to fight harder and it has cost them.  The east is going to be Miami and Chicago and whoever wins the Dwight Howard lotto, if it's New Jersey and they keep Deron they are instant contenders.  Chicago might not even get past the second round this year, they are likely facing Orlando and after Howard knocks Rose on his ass a couple of times the Bulls are going to be left without an offense, either through injury or by Rose becoming a shooter instead of a driver.

I watched a ton of NBA at the beginning of the season, and then for various reasons, I didnt get to much the second half. During the first half Boston was a machine. They where too old and too tired, yet they just steamrolled everyone. I think it had to do with them having amazing chemistry and really knowing each other. I think this Perkins/Robinson trade really fucked that up.

But Perkins was injured through the beginning of the season, the fact that they played so well without him was one of the reasons they felt they could trade him.  That is just how Boston plays, last year they started 25-3 and finished 27-27 and it got them to the finals.  They bust their ass to secure a decent playoff seed then they shut down to recuperate before the playoffs, i doubt it is going to work nearly as well this year as it did last though.

[ghost]

Atlanta is going to suuuuuuuuuuuuck in the playoffs.

You're not giving Joe Johnson enough credit..... 

[Cyrrex]

It's a business that is focused on making money...

I know you're right and that it's naive to want it to be otherwise, but shit, you'd like to think that people who owned professional sports teams would love the sport and care for their team before any bottom line implications.  Shit, most of them are multi-billionaires and the financial results of their sporting teams are probably only a small part of their portfolios...they just can't break the life-long habit of being the same fucking assholes that got them where they are in the first place.

[ghost]

They didn't get to multi-billionaires by enjoying losing money.

[Threash]

It's a business that is focused on making money...

I know you're right and that it's naive to want it to be otherwise, but shit, you'd like to think that people who owned professional sports teams would love the sport and care for their team before any bottom line implications.  Shit, most of them are multi-billionaires and the financial results of their sporting teams are probably only a small part of their portfolios...they just can't break the life-long habit of being the same fucking assholes that got them where they are in the first place.

The Magic owner is like that.  He's a very old multi billionaire and he wants a championship more than anything.  That's why the Magic have had basically a blank checkbook the past few seasons, which they haven't exactly used wisely but you can't say the owner hasn't given them free reigns to spend on talent.

[Cyrrex]

Yeah, see, that's what I'm talking about.  I'd like to think that if I were that billionaire, I'd be my usual douchebag self in all my other ventures.  For my sports team, I would try to win at all costs, because FUCK those other teams.

[ghost]

That's awesome, Cyrrex.  That's why I like Mark Cuban.  He's a competitive bastard for sure. 

[WayAbvPar]

Cuban is a giant douche, but I do admire the way he runs his sports teams.

[Cyrrex]

Yeah, there are plenty of reasons not to like the guy, but he loves him some sports.  Even as much as I dislike Jerry Jones, that motherfucker sure wants to win.

[ghost]

All these big owners are douches.  I wouldn't be surprised if all of them had big freezers full of dead bodies somewhere. 

[Morfiend]

All these big owners are douches.  I wouldn't be surprised if all of them had big freezers full of dead bodies somewhere. 

I like to think the Buss family have a bit more class than some of the other owners, but then I'm really fucking biased.

[WayAbvPar]

From what little I could glean from watching Buss play poker on TV, he seems like a decent enough dude. Which is why I was disappointed when he didn't drop Kobe when he got to rapin'.

[Paelos]

From what little I could glean from watching Buss play poker on TV, he seems like a decent enough dude. Which is why I was disappointed when he didn't drop Kobe when he got to rapin'.

Kobe didn't rape that chick. Just saying. He's an adulterous jackass, but he's not a Ben Rothlesfucker.

[ghost]

It was buttsex, so technically it wasn't cheatin' either.   

[Morfiend]

Butt Intruder? 

[ghost]

I can't believe that Indianapolis blew that lead.  Good.  Fuck Tyler Hansbrough.

[Morfiend]

There have been some fun games to watch.

Oddly, the Chicago game yesterday, while constantly close, just wasnt a very fun game to watch for me. Sundays Boston game was pretty awesome, and the Lakers, gah. Gasol decided to not show up.

The 76ers vs The heat is just sad to watch.

I missed the first Portland game, hoping to catch game 2 tonight.

[Paelos]

Wake me in round 2 when the bottom feeders are out.

Pacers v. the Bulls? We're letting sub .500 teams play D-Rose? Yeah, that's good TV. 

[Threash]

Uh the Pacers have done incredibly well.  The Bulls are barely beating them at home and both of those games could have easily gone the other way.

[Paelos]

Uh the Pacers have done incredibly well.  The Bulls are barely beating them at home and both of those games could have easily gone the other way.

You don't get any kudos from me for a close loss in the playoffs. Knicks played the Celtics close too. They will still both be out in 5 games.

What seperates a winning team from a losing team in the NBA is ability to close out a game in the 4th quarter.

[Threash]

You are still missing out on some good basketball if you don't think Bulls/Pacers is worth paying attention to.