Semi-OT: JVG predicts Heat will break Bulls' 72 Win record

Aint gonna happen. I don't even think they'll finish best in the East.

 

A little reverse psychology care of JVG on behalf of SVG.

 

You are indeed right. I specifically remember people sayin the suns were gonna beat it a while back (maybe during one of Nash's MVP runs). I dont think theyre gonna break that OR the Lakers win streak. This team has talent, but their big 3 are still young and in their prime and prolly wont be able to contain egos.

 

I think it's possible, but for 73 wins to happen a lot of things have to go right, in addition to having top level talent.

The biggest thing they have working against them is the expectations for the team, so statements like this are good to see IMO. I agree with Jay Johnstone that this might be reverse psychology on the part of JVG.

 

It can easily be done, if they killed their bodies for it in the regular season.

Why should they bother though? I expect them to rest a bit at the end of the year, or to play a lot less. Playoffs are too important.

 

JVG should put his money where his mouth is. The Bulls set an incredible record that won't get beat for a a long time and it has not been long enough. Certainly not by the egotistical Miami Heat .

For whatever reason, people have great expectations of them and great expectations lead to great disappointment. I'm not counting on them to win their first game as the Celtics will beat them. I'll be betting on that to happen .

 

The Celtics won a title, with a core not as solid as this one. If Miami's supporting cast (Haslem, Miller, etc.) is even close to as good as Boston's, they could easily set a new standard. With minimum level players they're expected to win ~60 games.

And Pierce/KG was pretty egotistical that year, not sure how that matters in this discussion. Again though I don't think the Heat should worry about the Bulls' record.

 

Hes on Espn radio right now and it kinda sounded like he backtracked. But I agree that theyll rest players at the end of the season for the playoffs because now a days thats more important when the season comes to a close

 

Why did the Bulls do it then? They could've easily just coasted to a 67 or 68 win season and been known as having "one of the best", instead of "the best" record ever in the NBA.

The simple answer is ego. Jordan wanted to prove to everyone how dominant he was after his embarrassing baseball debacle. Rodman wanted to prove the Spurs were wrong to give up on him, and that he could still dominate rebounding and defense and feather boas. Pippen probably wanted to make a mark on history that he wasn't able to do without Jordan. Even Jackson probably wanted to completely bury the history of his playoff limitations without Jordan.

You add it up, and there was a huge amount of ego there motivated to forever put their stamp on the game of NBA basketball with that ridiculous winning record. (Hell, probably Jordan had enough ego on his own--the rest was gravy!)

Think there are any similarities this time around? Think LeBron is a little motivated to redeem his image after the PR disaster and the years of "witnessing" finals/playoff futility in Cleveland? Think Bosh doesn't want to put all the losing he did in Toronto as far behind him in the rear view mirror as possible? Think Wade, after tasting a championship once and then never sniffing it again, isn't motivated to be something more than a Championship superstar guard who played next to Shaq?

I look at these three guys, and I see a crazy amount of motivation for them to do something spectacular this season. They don't just want people to shut up, they want them in awe. They want to put their own stamp on the NBA in the very worst way--so badly that they gave up the opportunity to be "the man" on other teams.

I don't know that they'll do it, but I can't think of another team better positioned to challenge that 72 win season record.

 

Nicely written. :] Well better said I wouldn't bother with it, I don't know for sure how The Heat will approach it. I just think if you want to win 7 or 8 rings there's a certain amount of conservation you need to be aware of. LeBron has a physical playing style, Wade has an injury history. I think you attack these records with depth, not put your main stars in danger.

I would not completely rest them unless they're injured. I play them something like 25-30 minutes a game once they lock up the important stuff.

 

Thanks! I tend to agree with you. If I were the coach, I'd shoot for 68 wins too. The rest is just showing off. But the coach for Miami is going to do whatever the hell Wade/Bosh/LeBron tells them to, and just count himself lucky to be paid to coach that level of talent. And I think those three are going to come in pissed off.

In the long-term, I don't know that this will continue. I think they've set themselves up for one spectacular season, and some seasons of coasting. After all, the Bulls let up off the throttle after making their point. They may not even win their conference a year or two from now. I'm here to speculate that eventually Wade gets traded the first time they don't win a ring.

Hopefully the experiment falls apart. The last thing I want to see is yet another superstar team dominate right when my Blazers hit their own championship window.

 

Damn you make some great points. I agree with much of this.