Cavs will be right there...Bucks may be rejuvenated 2nd half...a lot of new rosters post all star game but there's talent out there and there's injury
Yeah, but lets not focus on what MIGHT happen, with injuries. They happen EVERY year. Not predictable. Looking at current rosters as is, I have to disagree with ya my friend. Also remember if a team jumps up into the fry because of injury, that isn't adding another team because you lost the team that had the injury.
Unless the GSW have injuries, no one is beating them 4 times in a two week span. This season is almost as boring as last season. The only difference is that the East is more up in the air.
LOL! Reality is it's more like a 1+3 run for the Championship as long as CLE keeps struggling. Contender - GSW Pretender/Contender - CLE Pretender - BOS Pretender - HOU Irrelevant - everyone else
Golden State is the reigning champ...so it's one team only or it's a deeper field...I think it's a deeper field...actually clogged field in the middle..
you are right, it IS a clogged field in the middle, but they are all second tier teams that wont be there in the end. Barring KD and SC go down, but like I said previousdly, cant count on things like that. You take them when they happoen, but you dont count on it. For example, do you really think that NO and PA are sitting there going, yeah, with a couple injuries, we will get HCA!!!
It’s pretty amazing that this horrendous coaching staff led by terry Stotts has seen guys like Pat, Ed and Shabazz develop so substantially this year.
Napier and Connaughton got playing time finally. When Napier arrived, I saw a much better player already than Stotts did, but Stotts is in love with exhausting Lillard. Davis recovered from injury. You can tell by his tough inside emphasis that he learned all he knows in previous stops. He's the same player as when he arrived.
I'm starting to believe in Toronto. They'll probably still lose the first game of the playoffs as is their tradition but this may be their year. I'm starting to be reminded of how I felt about Dallas in 2011. No one was talking about them. No one considered them a contender. In fact, we were predicted by most to upset them in the first round, but it was simply THEIR year. Dallas did what it took to finally win a title. I think Toronto could do it this year too.
Disagree, Ed Davis is better than his 15-16 version. His 15-16 version would get pulled for Nards against bigger Centers because Davis couldn't keep them off the glass, nor protect the rim. Last night against the Clippers was the first time all season Davis needed assistance protecting the rim/glass.
Everyone except Olshey knew that Leonard was finished here. So yes, Davis would get pulled for Nards...to "develop" the lesser player, Leonard. Davis was already our best defender and Leonard our worst.
In what way is Ed performing better than the '15-'16 version? He's almost identical across the board, but slightly lower this year. His TRB% is slightly higher this year - but not by much.
I think practicing against Nurk is helping him. I don't think he would have tried that hook shot against Jordan without the confidence of practicing it against someone big.
Ed Davis outside of the first game against the Spurs, and last night against Harrel hasn't had issues getting out physicalled this year by really anyone this year. That was not the case in 15-16, where routinely Nards would sub in for Davis when there was a true big that Davis couldn't matchup with. It wasn't for development, it was because Nards for everything he's not. He's a very physical post defender who rarely gets overpowered. It's why he gave Boogie such issues before Boogie realized. 'Oh I'm far quicker than him'.
