KG4Ever wrote:Congrats to the Bucks. They deserve it and after Giannis's coming out party, I 'll say that drafting Bazz ahead of Giannis is now arguably the worst draft flub this franchise has ever made, though Flynn over Curry might be equally as bad.
But getting back to the East, the Bucks, Nets and Sixers are in my opinion the best three teams in the NBA and all of them should be as good if not better next year. Atlanta is on the rise. Knicks have capspace to improve. Miami and Celtics are typically free agent destinations and each team needs one star to contend. Meanwhile LeBron isn't getting any younger. Lillard is also older and Portland isn't far from dismantling. Warriors are aging and Draymond is no longer a difference maker and until Klay manages to stay healthy for a whole season (I'll believe it when I see it). Clippers are the only team I see able to hang with the top East teams and that's only if Kawhi and George are healthy, big ifs. I don't see the Suns as likely to repeat anytime soon as CP is aging and the additional playoff games should take a toll on the team next year.
Sadly, the days of West dominance are over. If the Wolves can find a two-way star to add to KAT and Ant, things may get interesting for the Wolves as the road to the top of the West is about to become wide open.
You casually dismissed the Lakers who won last season and would have arguably been the favorites to represent the West if it's 2nd best player didn't go down in Round 1.
And completely omit Denver... who also lost its 2nd best player to injury and has the current league MVP.
And Utah... who might be considered a level below those two teams, but who did have the league's best record this season.
You make fair points, but I'm only looking at the top teams. The East still has more bad teams. However, I'm also looking at the trends and the Eastern Conference teams look to be more sustainable over the next 5 years. Lakers are potentially a very good team, but I factor in age and injury history and Lebron and Davis are both at this stage of their career injury prone and they are really pedestrian after their two big stars. I still like Bucks, Nets and Sixers over anything the West can field right now, though if the Lakers land another big star that could change the dynamics.
FNG wrote:I agree that the gap has narrowed, but the West is still far and away the better and deeper conference. They were 20 games better than the East in head to head games last season. 9 Western Conference teams finished the season with winning records compared to only 6 in the East.
Those maybe facts, but you and I are looking at things differently. I'm looking at only the top teams and also projecting forward. I still pick the East to win more titles in next 5 years. Do you disagree with that assertion?
KG4Ever wrote:Congrats to the Bucks. They deserve it and after Giannis's coming out party, I 'll say that drafting Bazz ahead of Giannis is now arguably the worst draft flub this franchise has ever made, though Flynn over Curry might be equally as bad.
But getting back to the East, the Bucks, Nets and Sixers are in my opinion the best three teams in the NBA and all of them should be as good if not better next year. Atlanta is on the rise. Knicks have capspace to improve. Miami and Celtics are typically free agent destinations and each team needs one star to contend. Meanwhile LeBron isn't getting any younger. Lillard is also older and Portland isn't far from dismantling. Warriors are aging and Draymond is no longer a difference maker and until Klay manages to stay healthy for a whole season (I'll believe it when I see it). Clippers are the only team I see able to hang with the top East teams and that's only if Kawhi and George are healthy, big ifs. I don't see the Suns as likely to repeat anytime soon as CP is aging and the additional playoff games should take a toll on the team next year.
Sadly, the days of West dominance are over. If the Wolves can find a two-way star to add to KAT and Ant, things may get interesting for the Wolves as the road to the top of the West is about to become wide open.
You casually dismissed the Lakers who won last season and would have arguably been the favorites to represent the West if it's 2nd best player didn't go down in Round 1.
And completely omit Denver... who also lost its 2nd best player to injury and has the current league MVP.
And Utah... who might be considered a level below those two teams, but who did have the league's best record this season.
You make fair points, but I'm only looking at the top teams. The East still has more bad teams. However, I'm also looking at the trends and the Eastern Conference teams look to be more sustainable over the next 5 years. Lakers are potentially a very good team, but I factor in age and injury history and Lebron and Davis are both at this stage of their career injury prone and they are really pedestrian after their two big stars. I still like Bucks, Nets and Sixers over anything the West can field right now, though if the Lakers land another big star that could change the dynamics.
You're still being disingenuous (or absent-minded) in that first post by including the not-fully formed Knicks, Celtics and Miami teams while completely ignoring better teams right now than them in Utah and Denver.
I mean they could add new players just as easily, right?
FNG wrote:I agree that the gap has narrowed, but the West is still far and away the better and deeper conference. They were 20 games better than the East in head to head games last season. 9 Western Conference teams finished the season with winning records compared to only 6 in the East.
Those maybe facts, but you and I are looking at things differently. I'm looking at only the top teams and also projecting forward. I still pick the East to win more titles in next 5 years. Do you disagree with that assertion?
Tough to say...player movement is unpredictable these days as are injuries, and homegrown winners like the Bucks are rare. I think that if injuries weren't a factor (and of course they always are), Brooklyn would be my pick to win titles for at least the next two years.
FNG wrote:I agree that the gap has narrowed, but the West is still far and away the better and deeper conference. They were 20 games better than the East in head to head games last season. 9 Western Conference teams finished the season with winning records compared to only 6 in the East.
Those maybe facts, but you and I are looking at things differently. I'm looking at only the top teams and also projecting forward. I still pick the East to win more titles in next 5 years. Do you disagree with that assertion?
Tough to say...player movement is unpredictable these days as are injuries, and homegrown winners like the Bucks are rare. I think that if injuries weren't a factor (and of course they always are), Brooklyn would be my pick to win titles for at least the next two years.
Yep. The days of looking at 5-year windows are mostly over in today's NBA. Contracts are shorter. Players have fewer incentives to stay. And player empowerment has significantly changed how teams are formed... and disbanded.
KG4Ever wrote:Congrats to the Bucks. They deserve it and after Giannis's coming out party, I 'll say that drafting Bazz ahead of Giannis is now arguably the worst draft flub this franchise has ever made, though Flynn over Curry might be equally as bad.
But getting back to the East, the Bucks, Nets and Sixers are in my opinion the best three teams in the NBA and all of them should be as good if not better next year. Atlanta is on the rise. Knicks have capspace to improve. Miami and Celtics are typically free agent destinations and each team needs one star to contend. Meanwhile LeBron isn't getting any younger. Lillard is also older and Portland isn't far from dismantling. Warriors are aging and Draymond is no longer a difference maker and until Klay manages to stay healthy for a whole season (I'll believe it when I see it). Clippers are the only team I see able to hang with the top East teams and that's only if Kawhi and George are healthy, big ifs. I don't see the Suns as likely to repeat anytime soon as CP is aging and the additional playoff games should take a toll on the team next year.
Sadly, the days of West dominance are over. If the Wolves can find a two-way star to add to KAT and Ant, things may get interesting for the Wolves as the road to the top of the West is about to become wide open.
You casually dismissed the Lakers who won last season and would have arguably been the favorites to represent the West if it's 2nd best player didn't go down in Round 1.
And completely omit Denver... who also lost its 2nd best player to injury and has the current league MVP.
And Utah... who might be considered a level below those two teams, but who did have the league's best record this season.
You make fair points, but I'm only looking at the top teams. The East still has more bad teams. However, I'm also looking at the trends and the Eastern Conference teams look to be more sustainable over the next 5 years. Lakers are potentially a very good team, but I factor in age and injury history and Lebron and Davis are both at this stage of their career injury prone and they are really pedestrian after their two big stars. I still like Bucks, Nets and Sixers over anything the West can field right now, though if the Lakers land another big star that could change the dynamics.
You're still being disingenuous (or absent-minded) in that first post by including the not-fully formed Knicks, Celtics and Miami teams while completely ignoring better teams right now than them in Utah and Denver.
I mean they could add new players just as easily, right?
AbeVigodaLive wrote:
FNG wrote:
KG4Ever wrote:
FNG wrote:I agree that the gap has narrowed, but the West is still far and away the better and deeper conference. They were 20 games better than the East in head to head games last season. 9 Western Conference teams finished the season with winning records compared to only 6 in the East.
Those maybe facts, but you and I are looking at things differently. I'm looking at only the top teams and also projecting forward. I still pick the East to win more titles in next 5 years. Do you disagree with that assertion?
Tough to say...player movement is unpredictable these days as are injuries, and homegrown winners like the Bucks are rare. I think that if injuries weren't a factor (and of course they always are), Brooklyn would be my pick to win titles for at least the next two years.
Yep. The days of looking at 5-year windows are mostly over in today's NBA. Contracts are shorter. Players have fewer incentives to stay. And player empowerment has significantly changed how teams are formed... and disbanded.
AbeVigodaLive wrote:
KG4Ever wrote:
AbeVigodaLive wrote:
KG4Ever wrote:Congrats to the Bucks. They deserve it and after Giannis's coming out party, I 'll say that drafting Bazz ahead of Giannis is now arguably the worst draft flub this franchise has ever made, though Flynn over Curry might be equally as bad.
But getting back to the East, the Bucks, Nets and Sixers are in my opinion the best three teams in the NBA and all of them should be as good if not better next year. Atlanta is on the rise. Knicks have capspace to improve. Miami and Celtics are typically free agent destinations and each team needs one star to contend. Meanwhile LeBron isn't getting any younger. Lillard is also older and Portland isn't far from dismantling. Warriors are aging and Draymond is no longer a difference maker and until Klay manages to stay healthy for a whole season (I'll believe it when I see it). Clippers are the only team I see able to hang with the top East teams and that's only if Kawhi and George are healthy, big ifs. I don't see the Suns as likely to repeat anytime soon as CP is aging and the additional playoff games should take a toll on the team next year.
Sadly, the days of West dominance are over. If the Wolves can find a two-way star to add to KAT and Ant, things may get interesting for the Wolves as the road to the top of the West is about to become wide open.
You casually dismissed the Lakers who won last season and would have arguably been the favorites to represent the West if it's 2nd best player didn't go down in Round 1.
And completely omit Denver... who also lost its 2nd best player to injury and has the current league MVP.
And Utah... who might be considered a level below those two teams, but who did have the league's best record this season.
You make fair points, but I'm only looking at the top teams. The East still has more bad teams. However, I'm also looking at the trends and the Eastern Conference teams look to be more sustainable over the next 5 years. Lakers are potentially a very good team, but I factor in age and injury history and Lebron and Davis are both at this stage of their career injury prone and they are really pedestrian after their two big stars. I still like Bucks, Nets and Sixers over anything the West can field right now, though if the Lakers land another big star that could change the dynamics.
You're still being disingenuous (or absent-minded) in that first post by including the not-fully formed Knicks, Celtics and Miami teams while completely ignoring better teams right now than them in Utah and Denver.
I mean they could add new players just as easily, right?
I don't think that's true. Look at each of those team's salary cap structure and Miami and Boston are historically free agent destinations while Utah and Denver don't have the same history. https://www.spotrac.com/nba/cap/
Disingenous or absent-minded? Huh, what's with the personal digs? Take a chill pill. We obviously don't agree and I'm fine with that.
