OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread - January edition

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Blazer Fanatic, Jan 1, 2014.

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  1. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    six of the healthier teams in the league and the Heatles...
     
    BrianFromWA, Jan 26, 2014
    #661
  2. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    Actually two of the recent past great Sumo world champions were both Hawaiians. It's big all over Asia actually and you can see the matches throughout Asian TV markets. Boring, frickin' sport if there ever was one and the diapers they make those guys wear with the chopsticks hanging out of them are the worst!
     
    riverman, Jan 26, 2014
    #662
  3. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    I'm starting to think that the most remarkable thing about Melo setting the Knicks scoring record was that he didn't do it against the Blazers.
     
    Rastapopoulos, Jan 26, 2014
    #663
  4. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    I really don't get the Stern hate. He's the best commissioner ever in any sport. Seriously, name a better one.
     
    Rastapopoulos, Jan 26, 2014
    #664
  5. Strenuus

    Strenuus Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    If you go that route you're really just picking the lesser of two evils. They all suck.
     
    Strenuus, Jan 26, 2014
    #665
  6. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    That suggests that your expectations are hopelessly unrealistic.
     
    Rastapopoulos, Jan 26, 2014
    #666
  7. BBert

    BBert Weasels Ripped My Flesh

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    First have to establish the decision criteria.

    :bwpopcorn:
     
    BBert, Jan 26, 2014
    #667
  8. Strenuus

    Strenuus Global Moderator Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    As are others. :)
     
    Strenuus, Jan 26, 2014
    #668
  9. oldmangrouch

    oldmangrouch persona non grata

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    If Stern has done such a brilliant job, why does the NBA have the worst officiating of any major sport?

    At one time I would have agreed with your assesment. Sadly, at some point Stern stopped paying attention to the game and spent his time micro-managing the players and pander to the angry-old-white-guy demographic.
     
    oldmangrouch, Jan 27, 2014
    #669
  10. MickZagger

    MickZagger Well-Known Member

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    Kennesaw Mountain Landis.
     
    MickZagger, Jan 27, 2014
    #670
  11. ponderguy

    ponderguy Member

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    Do people forget that the NBA had the Finals on tape delay when Stern took over? The refs could be better but they've tried to address it with instant replays and whatnot. Stern has had a fantastic tenure
     
    ponderguy, Jan 27, 2014
    #671
  12. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    I believe the last tape-delayed finals were Magic's first title in 1980. The NBA had already started to pick up steam with Bird and Magic in the early 80's, and then the outstanding Sixers team that won the title in '83. The beginning of Stern's tenure in 1984 coincided quite fortuitously with the real beginning of the Lakers/Celtics rivalry in the '84 finals, and then the amazing 1984 draft class. Yes, Stern had a lot to do with the continuing burgeoning of the sport throughout the 80's, but it's not as though he made something out of nothing. The main pieces were either already on stage or waiting in the wings.
     
    PtldPlatypus, Jan 27, 2014
    #672
  13. ponderguy

    ponderguy Member

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    The NBA had stars before that too though. Its not like Bird & Magic were the first. The cocaine problem was huge when Stern took over, his implementation of drug testing and the salary cap were both huge for the NBA. Stern was also very savvy with who he partnered the NBA with and how he marketed it. There is no league that is as star driven as the NBA is now, both for good and bad.
     
    ponderguy, Jan 27, 2014
    #673
  14. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    I'm not saying that Stern did nothing; I'm saying that you're giving him more credit than he deserves by harkening back to the tape-delayed finals. A major upswing was already in process before he took over.

    It's like when Larry Brown took over as coach of the Pistons. They had already had Chauncey/Rip/Prince/Wallace, and had lost in the ECF the year before under Carlisle. He took what was already good, what had almost all the pieces necessary to be great, got one more piece ('Sheed), and took them over the top. Brown deserved credit for the title, but it's not as though he had built them from the 32 win team of '01.
     
    PtldPlatypus, Jan 27, 2014
    #674
  15. julius

    julius I wonder if there's beer on the sun Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    I think the biggest mark on Sterns tenure (outside of the Ewing lotto), is that since 1984, this is the list of NBA teams that won titles (not counting 1984, since it's not like his first year should be counted).

    LA (8)
    Boston (2)
    Houston (2)
    Dallas (1)
    San Antonio (4)
    Chicago (6)
    Miami (3)
    Detroit (3)

    Seriously, that's it. 29 titles, 8 teams.

    I'm not saying that the league set the deck (obviously, the biggest city, NY, hasn't done much since 99), but they kind of made it so those teams with lesser talent are in a much tougher position to improve.

    By comparison, let's look at MLB and the NFL. Since 85:

    NFL
    SF (4)
    Chicago
    NY Giants (4)
    WDC (2)
    Dallas (3)
    Green Bay (2)
    Denver (2*)
    St Louis
    Baltimore (2)
    New England (3)
    Tampa Bay
    Pittsburgh (2)
    Indianapolis
    New Orleans


    that's 14 teams for 29 titles (and if you take out the evil bastards and the eviler bastards, SF and NY, it's 12 teams for 21 titles).

    MLB.

    KC
    Oakland
    Minnesota (2)
    NY M
    LA Dodgers
    Cinn
    Toronto (2)
    Atlanta
    Yankees (5)
    Florida (2)
    Arizona
    Anaheim
    Boston (3)
    SF (2)
    ChWS
    St Louis (2)
    Philadelphia


    16 teams for 28 titles (no title in 94). Take away the Evil Doers, and it's 15 teams for 23 titles. Of course, with Baseball it totally became about big market pockets for a while.
     
    julius, Jan 27, 2014
    #675
  16. ponderguy

    ponderguy Member

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    The NFL appears to be more balanced but the short season is the only reason. If the NBA season was only 16 games long you'd get many more dark horse teams and with the playoffs being in a sudden death format upsets happen much more regularly. the 6 seed in the playoffs have won several super bowls recently (The Packers, Steelers and Giants all come to mind.) The NBAs best regularly win because the schedule and playoff format is not kind to bad teams. The best will always come to the top over the course of a 82 game season and 4 7 game playoff series. It is just to much for a inferior team to overcome.
     
    ponderguy, Jan 27, 2014
    #676
  17. BlazerCaravan

    BlazerCaravan Hug a Bigot... to Death

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    But how do you account for the 160+ game MLB? Still twice as many unique WS winners as NBA champs.
     
    BlazerCaravan, Jan 27, 2014
    #677
  18. ponderguy

    ponderguy Member

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    No idea. I don't follow baseball at all and don't know anything about the sport.
     
    ponderguy, Jan 27, 2014
    #678
  19. PapaG

    PapaG Banned User BANNED

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    Great players make more of a difference in the NBA, based of their impact on games compared to other players, as well as opportunity. In the NFL, Peyton Manning is only on the field for offensive possessions. If his defense fails, there's noting he can do about it other than score more points. In MLB, Felix Hernandez only plays every 5th day for the Mariners, or Mike Trout only gets to the plate 4-5x per game. Much less of opportunity for impact in your star players. In the NBA, LeBron James can take every shot of the 4th quarter, if need be, or at least touch the ball on every possession. He can also make impactful plays on defense, as well.
     
    PapaG, Jan 27, 2014
    #679
  20. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    Re: OFFICIAL 2014 Around the NBA thread

    Didn't our short timer Johnny Flynn have 50 his rookie season? Andre Miller had 52 for us in the playoffs too
     
    riverman, Jan 27, 2014
    #680
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