2016-2017 around the league thread

[AbeVigodaLive]

One thing I'm surprised no one has brought up is the Golden State Warriors. This is literally the greatest team on paper ever assembled - and it's not even close in my opinion. They basically took the greatest regular season team in history and added a top 5 player to it. It will take a dose of bad luck for these guys not to win multiple titles.

The only minor consolation is that Curry and Durant are about 4-7 years older than our core group of guys. Hopefully they will slow down by the time we are peaking.....

At the start of most NBA seasons, you can count the number of teams capable of making the Finals on one hand. This season... you need only two fingers.

Golden State is loaded and barring key injury should cruise to the Finals. The thing is... I think Cleveland is even more destined to make the Finals in the East because there just aren't any teams ready to challenge them in the weaker East. In fact, all 29* GMs predict a Cle vs. GSW Finals. Again. Boston has a chance to push Cleveland for the #1 seed like Toronto did last year. But come playoff time... that's when Cleveland picks up the pace and you could see just how far ahead they were last season.

Boston needs one major trade to get close enough to make it competitive.


[Note: For the (xth) straight year, I'm thinking the Clippers have a fighting chance in the West.]

Yes, I agree that Cleveland has a pretty clear path to the Finals, but their depth seems a bit shaky. They absolutely can't afford to lose LeBron or Irving.

However, even if totally healthy, I just can't see them taking a series against Golden State this time around. Last year they were able to wear Curry down, but now he has one of the greatest scorers in NBA history to take on a big part of the load in crunch time. I just have no clue how to defend these guys. Last year, the "switch everything" scheme worked pretty good, but now Durant presents a real problem as the screener because he'll end up with a little guy that he can very easily shoot over. Durant/Curry pick and rolls are going to be nightmares to defend.

I think last year's Finals were a hodgepodge of best-case scenarios for Cleveland...

- Green suspension up 3 - 1 and cruising.
- Curry's struggles. Injuries? Worn down?
- Barnes shitting the bed so completely.
- Bogut injury.
- Varejo seeing the court at all.
- Festus Ezeli shitting the bed.
- Team-wide brain freeze... shooting slump unprecedented all season.
- Iguodala back injury.
- Cleveland playing very well... especially defensively.

I think if those two teams played 20 games... GSW wins 13 or 14 of them. But Cleveland rode a hot/cold streak at the perfect time and effectively "stole" the title. Nothing wrong with that.

The point is that it's infinitely easier to do those things when you can coast year after year after year into the Finals while not really breaking a sweat.

1980s Pat Riley is trying to look the other way right now...

[Monster]

One thing I'm surprised no one has brought up is the Golden State Warriors. This is literally the greatest team on paper ever assembled - and it's not even close in my opinion. They basically took the greatest regular season team in history and added a top 5 player to it. It will take a dose of bad luck for these guys not to win multiple titles.

The only minor consolation is that Curry and Durant are about 4-7 years older than our core group of guys. Hopefully they will slow down by the time we are peaking.....

At the start of most NBA seasons, you can count the number of teams capable of making the Finals on one hand. This season... you need only two fingers.

Golden State is loaded and barring key injury should cruise to the Finals. The thing is... I think Cleveland is even more destined to make the Finals in the East because there just aren't any teams ready to challenge them in the weaker East. In fact, all 29* GMs predict a Cle vs. GSW Finals. Again. Boston has a chance to push Cleveland for the #1 seed like Toronto did last year. But come playoff time... that's when Cleveland picks up the pace and you could see just how far ahead they were last season.

Boston needs one major trade to get close enough to make it competitive.


[Note: For the (xth) straight year, I'm thinking the Clippers have a fighting chance in the West.]

Yes, I agree that Cleveland has a pretty clear path to the Finals, but their depth seems a bit shaky. They absolutely can't afford to lose LeBron or Irving.

However, even if totally healthy, I just can't see them taking a series against Golden State this time around. Last year they were able to wear Curry down, but now he has one of the greatest scorers in NBA history to take on a big part of the load in crunch time. I just have no clue how to defend these guys. Last year, the "switch everything" scheme worked pretty good, but now Durant presents a real problem as the screener because he'll end up with a little guy that he can very easily shoot over. Durant/Curry pick and rolls are going to be nightmares to defend.

I think last year's Finals were a hodgepodge of best-case scenarios for Cleveland...

- Green suspension up 3 - 1 and cruising.
- Curry's struggles. Injuries? Worn down?
- Barnes shitting the bed so completely.
- Bogut injury.
- Varejo seeing the court at all.
- Festus Ezeli shitting the bed.
- Team-wide brain freeze... shooting slump unprecedented all season.
- Iguodala back injury.
- Cleveland playing very well... especially defensively.

I think if those two teams played 20 games... GSW wins 13 or 14 of them. But Cleveland rode a hot/cold streak at the perfect time and effectively "stole" the title. Nothing wrong with that.

The point is that it's infinitely easier to do those things when you can coast year after year after year into the Finals while not really breaking a sweat.

1980s Pat Riley is trying to look the other way right now...

Dunlevy was a nice pickup but losing Delly hurts even if What I remember I don't think he played all that well in that series. They basically have nobody of note as the backup PG. of course Lebron can play PG and they can probably pick up a guy off the street at some point but that's a weakness right now.

[AbeVigodaLive]

One thing I'm surprised no one has brought up is the Golden State Warriors. This is literally the greatest team on paper ever assembled - and it's not even close in my opinion. They basically took the greatest regular season team in history and added a top 5 player to it. It will take a dose of bad luck for these guys not to win multiple titles.

The only minor consolation is that Curry and Durant are about 4-7 years older than our core group of guys. Hopefully they will slow down by the time we are peaking.....

At the start of most NBA seasons, you can count the number of teams capable of making the Finals on one hand. This season... you need only two fingers.

Golden State is loaded and barring key injury should cruise to the Finals. The thing is... I think Cleveland is even more destined to make the Finals in the East because there just aren't any teams ready to challenge them in the weaker East. In fact, all 29* GMs predict a Cle vs. GSW Finals. Again. Boston has a chance to push Cleveland for the #1 seed like Toronto did last year. But come playoff time... that's when Cleveland picks up the pace and you could see just how far ahead they were last season.

Boston needs one major trade to get close enough to make it competitive.


[Note: For the (xth) straight year, I'm thinking the Clippers have a fighting chance in the West.]

Yes, I agree that Cleveland has a pretty clear path to the Finals, but their depth seems a bit shaky. They absolutely can't afford to lose LeBron or Irving.

However, even if totally healthy, I just can't see them taking a series against Golden State this time around. Last year they were able to wear Curry down, but now he has one of the greatest scorers in NBA history to take on a big part of the load in crunch time. I just have no clue how to defend these guys. Last year, the "switch everything" scheme worked pretty good, but now Durant presents a real problem as the screener because he'll end up with a little guy that he can very easily shoot over. Durant/Curry pick and rolls are going to be nightmares to defend.

I think last year's Finals were a hodgepodge of best-case scenarios for Cleveland...

- Green suspension up 3 - 1 and cruising.
- Curry's struggles. Injuries? Worn down?
- Barnes shitting the bed so completely.
- Bogut injury.
- Varejo seeing the court at all.
- Festus Ezeli shitting the bed.
- Team-wide brain freeze... shooting slump unprecedented all season.
- Iguodala back injury.
- Cleveland playing very well... especially defensively.

I think if those two teams played 20 games... GSW wins 13 or 14 of them. But Cleveland rode a hot/cold streak at the perfect time and effectively "stole" the title. Nothing wrong with that.

The point is that it's infinitely easier to do those things when you can coast year after year after year into the Finals while not really breaking a sweat.

1980s Pat Riley is trying to look the other way right now...

Dunlevy was a nice pickup but losing Delly hurts even if What I remember I don't think he played all that well in that series. They basically have nobody of note as the backup PG. of course Lebron can play PG and they can probably pick up a guy off the street at some point but that's a weakness right now.

Yeah, the beauty of James is that he can just take everything over. PF? PG? Doesn't really matter. He's THE prime example of position-less basketball.

And you know that cast-off vets will be jumping to both CLE and GSW about halfway through the season in a quest for a ring. We see it EVERY year lately. And those teams are the only ones with a chance this season so the ring chasers will be lining up for them.

[khans2k5 [enjin:6608728]]

I think the NBA is going to be pretty boring to follow this year. I'll enjoy watching the Wolves develop, but GS and CLE are the clear favorites. Nobody else in the West or East did anything to significantly improve quickly. I don't see a ton of shifting in either conference from last year.

[Monster]

One thing I'm surprised no one has brought up is the Golden State Warriors. This is literally the greatest team on paper ever assembled - and it's not even close in my opinion. They basically took the greatest regular season team in history and added a top 5 player to it. It will take a dose of bad luck for these guys not to win multiple titles.

The only minor consolation is that Curry and Durant are about 4-7 years older than our core group of guys. Hopefully they will slow down by the time we are peaking.....

At the start of most NBA seasons, you can count the number of teams capable of making the Finals on one hand. This season... you need only two fingers.

Golden State is loaded and barring key injury should cruise to the Finals. The thing is... I think Cleveland is even more destined to make the Finals in the East because there just aren't any teams ready to challenge them in the weaker East. In fact, all 29* GMs predict a Cle vs. GSW Finals. Again. Boston has a chance to push Cleveland for the #1 seed like Toronto did last year. But come playoff time... that's when Cleveland picks up the pace and you could see just how far ahead they were last season.

Boston needs one major trade to get close enough to make it competitive.


[Note: For the (xth) straight year, I'm thinking the Clippers have a fighting chance in the West.]

Yes, I agree that Cleveland has a pretty clear path to the Finals, but their depth seems a bit shaky. They absolutely can't afford to lose LeBron or Irving.

However, even if totally healthy, I just can't see them taking a series against Golden State this time around. Last year they were able to wear Curry down, but now he has one of the greatest scorers in NBA history to take on a big part of the load in crunch time. I just have no clue how to defend these guys. Last year, the "switch everything" scheme worked pretty good, but now Durant presents a real problem as the screener because he'll end up with a little guy that he can very easily shoot over. Durant/Curry pick and rolls are going to be nightmares to defend.

I think last year's Finals were a hodgepodge of best-case scenarios for Cleveland...

- Green suspension up 3 - 1 and cruising.
- Curry's struggles. Injuries? Worn down?
- Barnes shitting the bed so completely.
- Bogut injury.
- Varejo seeing the court at all.
- Festus Ezeli shitting the bed.
- Team-wide brain freeze... shooting slump unprecedented all season.
- Iguodala back injury.
- Cleveland playing very well... especially defensively.

I think if those two teams played 20 games... GSW wins 13 or 14 of them. But Cleveland rode a hot/cold streak at the perfect time and effectively "stole" the title. Nothing wrong with that.

The point is that it's infinitely easier to do those things when you can coast year after year after year into the Finals while not really breaking a sweat.

1980s Pat Riley is trying to look the other way right now...

Dunlevy was a nice pickup but losing Delly hurts even if What I remember I don't think he played all that well in that series. They basically have nobody of note as the backup PG. of course Lebron can play PG and they can probably pick up a guy off the street at some point but that's a weakness right now.

Yeah, the beauty of James is that he can just take everything over. PF? PG? Doesn't really matter. He's THE prime example of position-less basketball.

And you know that cast-off vets will be jumping to both CLE and GSW about halfway through the season in a quest for a ring. We see it EVERY year lately. And those teams are the only ones with a chance this season so the ring chasers will be lining up for them.

I think the Spurs are another team that has a shot. But yeah GS and the Cavs will have their pick o they want guys. If Chalmers gets healthy he would make a lot of sense. I'll be interested to see if maybe rookie Kay Felder ends up being a bit of a surprise for the Cavs at PG. He is the backup right now.

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

I hate to agree with Khans, but it's true. The NBA is too predictable. We know the finals already. It's what the league wants too.

[AbeVigodaLive]

I hate to agree with Khans, but it's true. The NBA is too predictable. We know the finals already. It's what the league wants too.

I'm disappointed that we disagree so much on this topic...

[BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]]

Me too Abe. I say black and you say white. But that's how you like it.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Me too Abe. I say black and you say white. But that's how you like it.

Maybe you're being facetious. Or maybe my joke missed its mark...

[Monster]

I was somewhere that had the Knicks Celtics game on tonight. I watched for a few possessions. Jalen Brown looks like a freaking manchild out there physically. It's kinda hard to believe he will turn 20 in a couple days. Sasha Vujacic hit a 3 near the end of the quarter and looked in terrific shape. I would have never guessed that was the guy playing.