NFT: NBA 2014/15 Season Thread ..........

A Bulls/Cavs and a Warriors/Thunder final 4. I am thinking the Spurs will be around again. Who knows with the Thunder as injuries have messed up the last 2 postseasons. The west is going to be amazing this year. My surprise team is going to be the Jazz. Burke will take the next step. Hayward is sold. Kanter had a pretty good preseason. Burks will also improve.

Teams like the Jazz, Kings, Nuggets, TWolves all may not make the postseason but they will be really fun to watch.

East Division Winners

NYK
Cavs
Washington

Playoff Teams:

Nets
Bulls
Indiana
Milwaukee
Charlotte


West Division Winners:

Portland
Clippers
Houston

West Playoff Teams

OKC
Dallas
Memphis
Golden St
Spurs


East Finals

Cavs vs NYK


West Finals

Portland vs Houston


Finals

Houston over Cavs


Really tough to go out on a limb in the East with the Cavs and Lebron. I just dont see any team thats even close. Im a knicks fan so I have them in the finals, which is definately possible. I can really see any team in there with Cleveland. Just going to depend on the playoff draw.

I like Houston in the West. They are a tough squad. Especially at home. Not really a fan of Howard, but they are a pretty solid team.

Im just taking a shot on them beating Cleveland, although I'd favor the Cavs in a series. Lebron isnt going to win every championship.

MVP: Lebron
Rookie: Parker
Worst Team: Philly
Surpise Team Good: Charlotte. They can be washington from last year
Surprise Team Bad: Spurs. I think theyll get old at some point. Still squeak into the playoffs though.

I dont know shit. Nobody really does. So this is my picks.

Will be interesting to see how the rest of the final spots play out.

through this incredible era of success with Pop/Duncan they have never repeated

Portland is my sleeper team to get out of the West so I'll be bold and pick a Blazers-Cavs final

did you forget about Toronto?

Division winners:

Atlantic: Raptors
Central: Cavs (#1 seed)
Southeast: Wizards

Other playoff teams:

Bulls (2nd best record)
Pacers
Heat
Knicks
Hornets

In the West

Northwest: Blazers
Pacific: Warriors
Southwest: Spurs (#1 seed)

Other playoff teams

Thunder
Clippers
Rockets
Pelicans (because of the Brow)
Suns

East Finals: Cavs over Bulls
West Finals: Blazers over Spurs

NBA Finals: Cavs over Blazers

I dont know why they shouldnt be solid under a capable coach like svg. A frontcourt rotation of drummond, smith and monroe is going to be a lot for teams to deal with, especially since he knows how to stagger thrir minutes and wont make the mistake of having all 3 on the court at once (which is a terrible fit). He has already said one of smith/monroe is going to be the 6th man.

im not a brandon jennings fan and between he and josh smith their shot selection and collective basketball i.q. was staggeringly low. But stan van gundy isnt going to tolerate that shit. I really think hes going to make a big difference with their culture and help andre drummond take that next step. Dude has a beastly ceiling and i expect him to take that typical leap guys do after a summer with team u.s.a.

issues are just what you said. They have Jennings and Smith. Those players do more bad then good. That said if Drummond takes another step forward they should still be good enough to hang around the 7/8 spot.

Love will see a Bosh like decline in his production with LeBron. Except he's a much worse defender so overall he's a worse player. They're going to struggle defensively. Outside LeBron, they don't have plus defenders and they start a couple of bad ones in Irving, Verajao and Love.

In comment 11941989 chris r said:

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Love will see a Bosh like decline in his production with LeBron. Except he's a much worse defender so overall he's a worse player. They're going to struggle defensively. Outside LeBron, they don't have plus defenders and they start a couple of bad ones in Irving, Verajao and Love.

couple = trio.

too.

Still lack a second creator with Rose.

to underrated... much better that way for them in year 3 in the BK.
hard to be against the spurs

Is absolutely not a bad defender. Hes the only cavs big who has any sort of positive defensive impact. Hes just not a bigtime shotblocker

but he's far better on the boards and offensively, even compared to Toronto Bosh. Love doesn't have to develop his outside shot to stretch the floor like Bosh did. He's already an excellent perimeter shooter and has a strong post game.

Love had nearly as many 3PAs last season alone (and still shot .376 from there) as Bosh has for his career.

Hopefully he can stay healthy and move on from the "you have to put a face to the big new stadium unveil in BKN" and instead just play basketball.

Plumless's option just got picked up which was a no brainer given Lopez's perennially troublesome foot. I like Plumlee. At this point you gotta take anything from Lopez as a bonus. I think the Nets will have trouble scoring consistently without him unless Williams really does "revert to form" which looks more and more unlikely.

-

I'm wary that the East will be all that interesting this year, although hope I'm wrong (much depends on Rose). The West...gonna be mesmerizing.

Bulls/Spurs in Finals. Spurs repeat. KD MVP.

I agree. Love is a much better fit than bosh offensively from day 1 both because of his spacing and passing, and immensely better on the glass. This cavs team is going to be way better on the boards than miami ever was.

Defensively he is going to be playing the 4 on this team as opposed to bosh playing the 5 in miami. Love sucks defensively but bosh was virtually always overmatched trying to defend 5s anyway himself. Love will remain in his natural position for the majority of his minutes. He is going to see a numbers hit much like bosh did because its impossib le for 3 guys on the same team to put up big numbers at modern nba pace. But his impact should be greater than boshs

people talk about miamis flawed roster over the last 4 years like they were loaded. This cavs team barring injury has a higher ceiling and is better balanced than any of those teams. Only concern is the lack of playoff experience. Defensively they wont be great, but theyll be good enough if varejao stays healthy

are my picks for the Finals with the Spurs winning in 7. I think Pop and Duncan are motivated for back to back rings which they haven't done yet. LeBron is a shoe in for MVP. Parker will by ROY. Pelicans are my dark horse team and the Knicks will win a meaningless 38 games and maybe the 8th seed.

no i didnt forget about them. but i'd like to. I had the Nets in there ahead of them. based on nothing really. i just didnt pick them

healthy. They were the Spurs toughest challenge in the West last year and they got better.

Thunder have peaked imo, Clippers can have some upside but are still too dependent on a few players.

I am excited to see the Cavs and the Bulls. I think the Cavs will be a much more fun team to watch then the Heat ever were. I expect them to play some pretty ball.

In comment 11942083 MarshallOnMontana said:

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I agree. Love is a much better fit than bosh offensively from day 1 both because of his spacing and passing, and immensely better on the glass. This cavs team is going to be way better on the boards than miami ever was. Defensively he is going to be playing the 4 on this team as opposed to bosh playing the 5 in miami. Love sucks defensively but bosh was virtually always overmatched trying to defend 5s anyway himself. Love will remain in his natural position for the majority of his minutes. He is going to see a numbers hit much like bosh did because its impossib le for 3 guys on the same team to put up big numbers at modern nba pace. But his impact should be greater than boshs people talk about miamis flawed roster over the last 4 years like they were loaded. This cavs team barring injury has a higher ceiling and is better balanced than any of those teams. Only concern is the lack of playoff experience. Defensively they wont be great, but theyll be good enough if varejao stays healthy

Not sure about the higher ceiling for the Cavs. I think the best chance for a title for them is within the next two years because at some point LeBron will decline. Gotta start wondering when all that mileage will take a toll on LeBron (4 straight finals is like playing another whole season at full intensity, plus other playoff runs in his first Cavs stint). Not sure Irving will ever be as good as Wade before Wade started declining in 2013 and 2014. Love is better than Bosh though

In comment 11942030 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Is absolutely not a bad defender. Hes the only cavs big who has any sort of positive defensive impact. Hes just not a bigtime shotblocker

He's horrible. All the advanced stats and the eye tests say that

This is LeBron's 12th season. It would be hard to see him as the best player in the league in 2016-17 entering his 14th season. He'll be one of a group of top players but age conquers all

I'm surprised he is getting no love for ROY. I think the Celtics would be fools not to play him with Rondo, and he's NBA ready on both ends of the floor.

Out West it'll be interesting to see if the Clips take the next step. Paul is still a great player, but his window is closing. They have maybe 2 more years of elite CP3. That means Blake is going to have to be peaking in those years, and they have got to grab homecourt. If they do that, they could represent the west.

The Spurs are the Spurs. OKC without Durant will be interesting. Westbrook is a great player, but how does he fare without KD for an extended period of time. Can he make the other guys on that team better?

I still don't think Portland and Houston are there yet. Portland because I want to see if Aldridge takes his game even further. Houston because I just don't like Dwight or his commitment to being great.

In the East, the Bulls and D Rose's health stand in the Cavs way. I'm not a Bulls fan but you gotta hope Rose can stay healthy and keep the explosiveness we've seen glimpses of.

I think the Cavs will mesh pretty quickly. Love and Kyrie an dynamic scorers, and while they've never played with another star before, I think they'll learn each others games fast.

Charmers > Irving, wade > waiters; Heat LeBron > Cavs LeBron; haslem/Anthony/Battier> Love; bosh = verajao

The Cavs will be much worse defensively.

Because they are way more balanced a roster than miami ever was, lebron isnt going to need to lead this team in rebounding, they are going to be leagues better than the heat on the glass. People dont have nearly enough an appreciation for how historically anomolous it was for miami to have the success they had while being so shitty on the boards. Basically never happens.

Theyre deeper, the core pieces fit together more naturally from a fit and spacing standpoint because both irving and wade have ready made 3 point range, theyre both also better passers than their miami counterparts, the ability to facilitate good looks not initiated by lebron is far higher on this cavs team. They have playmakers. Lebron had to always be miamis defacto point guard. And theyre way deeper in talent. Just look at the frontcourt rotation of love/varejao/tristan thompson, compare that to miami with bosh/haslem/birdman. Its a blood bath. They have even more shooting than miami ever did too. They have a guy like dion waiters who when disciplined is 10x more talented than any miami backcourt player sans wade, and hes a terrific catch and shoot guy who will see plenty of those chances in this offense.

Haven't followed at all since the news broke, but thought it was likely he'd return by ~December? Bummer if that's not the case.

In comment 11942166 chris r said:

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In comment 11942030 MarshallOnMontana said: Quote: Is absolutely not a bad defender. Hes the only cavs big who has any sort of positive defensive impact. Hes just not a bigtime shotblocker He's horrible. All the advanced stats and the eye tests say that

then you are reading the wrong advanced stats, and your eyes suck. He was top 25 in the entire nba last year in defensive rapm, he has made an all defense team before. Hes the best frontcourt defender lebron has ever played with and its not close.

In comment 11942200 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Because they are way more balanced a roster than miami ever was, lebron isnt going to need to lead this team in rebounding, they are going to be leagues better than the heat on the glass. People dont have nearly enough an appreciation for how historically anomolous it was for miami to have the success they had while being so shitty on the boards. Basically never happens. Theyre deeper, the core pieces fit together more naturally from a fit and spacing standpoint because both irving and wade have ready made 3 point range, theyre both also better passers than their miami counterparts, the ability to facilitate good looks not initiated by lebron is far higher on this cavs team. They have playmakers. Lebron had to always be miamis defacto point guard. And theyre way deeper in talent. Just look at the frontcourt rotation of love/varejao/tristan thompson, compare that to miami with bosh/haslem/birdman. Its a blood bath. They have even more shooting than miami ever did too. They have a guy like dion waiters who when disciplined is 10x more talented than any miami backcourt player sans wade, and hes a terrific catch and shoot guy who will see plenty of those chances in this offense.

Who is handling the ball, Irving or LeBron? How valuable is Irving if he's not playing PG. And Irving is not just a bad defender, but an atrocious defender. Love is a worse defender than Bosh (who is bad). Love's a better rebounder and offensive player but he's also an atrocious man-defender

For all of Wade's issues he was a top defender at his position

Cavs will be a better offensive team once they sort out who is handling the ball but they've got massive holes on defense. Aside from LeBron there are no great defensive players (Varejao is average)

Not irving and wade

but he's head and shoulders above in the rebounding department, and his outlet passes with Lebron will make them a very exciting team in the fast break.

maybe 3 at most because LeBron's already played 11 seasons plus the equivalent of 2 full seasons of playoff basketball. That's a ton of mileage and it was reported last year that LeBron had to manage a back issue, which was possibly the reason why he lost weight this offseason

would be nice to see a changing of the guard a bit, though a huge part of me will still root for the Spurs to do it again (if the Bulls are out of it).

obviously have serious injury concerns with Rose and Noah to start the year, but Cleveland has some serious concerns of their own (irving and varejao seemingly break down every year).

It'll also remain to be seen whether Lebron slimming down helps or hurts his durability.

Was hurt in the playoffs the majority of the time, was past his prime defensively, and was never an ideal fit next to lebron from a spacing standpoint because of his lack of range. Kyrie irving has a legit lethal shoooting stroke, just entering his prime, flashed mightily defensively this summer. Its silly to act like the book on him defensively is closed at 22 years old. The guys who are bigtime defenders at that age are the exceptions. Kyrie irvings arrow is pointing upward.

And its not very productive to solely compare big 3 vs big 3, which is what these conversations always come down to for some reason. Cleveland is way more balanced

Go Lakers, time to add another lottery player.

but at a glance, it looks like the strength of the class will be determined by how many freshman declare. There's 4 freshmen expected to go top 10, but it's very early.

I think the 3 headliners are okafor from Duke. A pure back to the basket big. Mudiay who was supposed to go to SMU is the best guard. Towns from Kentucky via Jersey is a 7 footer with a very talented skillset.

is not a bad defender. Just the opposite.

He helps his team a lot on this end. He's active and physical. When the ball goes up he's looking to clear guys out. I often see him moving the other teams best rebounder out of position while his teammate gets the rebound. He hustles. He bangs. He does not care about stats but does things to help his team.

I've always loved his defensive game. He's a winner. I'm happy he'll be on a good team this year. If he's healthy more people will notice & appreciate the things he does to win games.

The NBA would be a better league if we had more who played like him.

thanks, dudes.

In comment 11942083 MarshallOnMontana said:

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Love sucks defensively but bosh was virtually always overmatched trying to defend 5s anyway himself.

I caught a Twolves/Warriors game last year where the Warriors color commentator (the pretty excellent Jim Barnett) was arguing that Love's defensive deficiencies are exaggerated. His case: their perimeter players, particularly Martin but also Brewer, gambled so heavily and so frequently that Love would (and Pekovic) had to scramble to cover, and they didn't quite have the proper scheme/framework/coaching in place to help dictate how the two would do so.

Plays with an intensity level that is straight up uncomfortable to play against. The issue is you know he is going to get hurt. He makes derrick rose look like cal ripken jr. Its not a matter of if, its a matter of when. The cavs just need him to avoid something serious that will keep him out of playoff games

is my prediction for the 2015 Finals. Bulls in 6

In comment 11942355 Vin R said:

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is my prediction for the 2015 Finals. Bulls in 6

Thanks for the Stan curse...

Lakers have to score a top 5 pick. Otherwise we lose our pick to the Suns.

that happened to the Bulls in regards to the Gasol acquisition is the defense he brings. While not known as a defensive stalwart. He has the size/length to fit perfectly in Thibs' scheme. Besides, he is 1000x better than Boozer.

I cant wait to see Noah guard Love. Probably one of the few bigs that can guard him inside/outside without help.

Yeah I know, just figured a top ten would be more accurate now.

I'd like to see a team like the Warriors or even the Knicks win it, for a change. Hell, I'd root for the Cavs if LBJ hadn't left and returned, big fan of Kevin Love's and Kyrie's games.

Just to tie one more piece into the cavs/miami comparison.

The cavs flexibility going forward is also amazing. They will have a lottery pick coming to them next time memphis misses the playoffs, which could easily be this year in a stacked west. Memphis isnt bad, the west is just that good. Brendan haywoods jon guarenteed contract will also be a huge piece in trade talks. They should be much better next year than even this year, and not just because of the inevitable improved chemistry. They can be major players to add pieces next summer. There are already rumblings of them angling for marc gasol

In comment 11942366 UConn4523 said:

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In comment 11942355 Vin R said: Quote: is my prediction for the 2015 Finals. Bulls in 6 Thanks for the Stan curse...

haha no!!

In comment 11942368 GiantFilthy said:

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Lakers have to score a top 5 pick. Otherwise we lose our pick to the Suns.

Really hope they get the 6th pick

In comment 11942531 MookGiants said:

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In comment 11942368 GiantFilthy said: Quote: Lakers have to score a top 5 pick. Otherwise we lose our pick to the Suns. Really hope they get the 6th pick

Lol, you bastid, even after saying I'd root for NYK.