<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jurassic:</div><div class="quote_post">The Magic should be above the Nets, Celtics, and Cavs.</div>That's a joke, right? Sure, it could happen. But it's highly unlikely. I don't see the Magic finishing ahead of any 3 of those teams....and I guarantee I'm not in the minority on that one. However, if it happens, I'll make sure to give you all the credit in the world. (I say that because I know it won't happen.)
I really dont understand how the Nets are higher ranked then teams like the Magic and Sixers.They have a good chance at getting of to a slow start,espically since J-Kidd will be out. Another thing is their team chemistry might be bad since Jason Kidd might not be happy,him and the staff have already seemed to but heads early in training camp and thats really a bad sign imo.
Seattle should be slightly better than that. The Wizards are just horrible and Jamison will not help. The Hornets are a lesser them too, Baron Davis will miss games and Mash is already gone again. Wesley and Armstrong are on the decline etc. etc. The lakers will be worse than 13th and the cavs better. The suns will put up the points but need some D. Even the Mavs have more D. Don't get me started on the Jazz, yes Arroyo will shine and AK47 will be himself. Okur and Boozer will not be worth the money.
Raptors at 26? Next thing you know, the Raptors clinch 5th seed in the east while Vince has a career, if not a MVP season, book it.
The Heat are ranked to high, sure they got Shaq but they gave up some of last season's best players for them to get him. They will miss those players, and as of now we don't know if Shaq will even make the Heat better than last season, let alone the 4th best team as of now. I don't think the Warriors are that good either, they have improved in the offseason and the future is looking brighter for them, but they aren't the 15th best team as of now, especially with the loss of Dampier. Other than that, I think the list is pretty good.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Stockton:</div><div class="quote_post">The Heat are ranked to high, sure they got Shaq but they gave up some of last season's best players for them to get him. They will miss those players, and as of now we don't know if Shaq will even make the Heat better than last season, let alone the 4th best team as of now. I don't think the Warriors are that good either, they have improved in the offseason and the future is looking brighter for them, but they aren't the 15th best team as of now, especially with the loss of Dampier. Other than that, I think the list is pretty good.</div> How exactly is the future looking brighter for the Warriors? They signed Derek Fisher and Adonal Foyle to ridiculously overpriced contracts. It looks to me like Mullin is taking that franchise down the crapper. I just don't see it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CourtKing:</div><div class="quote_post">Well if you can take the top 3 teams from the east and west, I think the east might be better: East: West: 1. Pistons 1. Spurs 2. Pacers 2. T'Wovles 3. Heat 3: Kings East is getting there, but from the top 3 teams I would say it's a tie.</div> That's exactly it. You can say the East can rival the West in terms of it's top three teams all you like, but the bottom line is after those three, it tails off. The West is much deeper in terms of team strength at the moment. I thought we couldn't get any worse than when Stein ranked us 28th this time last year. Sure we lost Brent Barry, but we've gained Nick Collison, traded Booth for Fortson and signed Euro sharpshooter Ibo Kutluay. Not earth shattering moves by any sense, and nothing that will probably push us into the playoffs, but he's ranked us the worst team out of every team that suited up last year. That's crap.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting durvasa:</div><div class="quote_post">How exactly is the future looking brighter for the Warriors? They signed Derek Fisher and Adonal Foyle to ridiculously overpriced contracts. It looks to me like Mullin is taking that franchise down the crapper. I just don't see it.</div> Mullin has come in and taken over well. He is changing the team, and trying to make them a contender with new players, and a new coach. I don't think Foyle is that badly overpaid, when you look at what other big's have been offered in this offseason such as Eric Dampier and Mehmet Okur. Fisher will bring them a veteran presence and experience, is more than capable of starting, and will help this young team develop. When the younger guys get the time to gel together, this could be a playoff team, which it hasn't been close to recently. Guys like Jason Richardson, Mickael Pietrus, Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy and Andris Biedrins could all be great players in a few seasons. The Warriors still have a lot of room for improvement, but they are improving.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting 44Thrilla:</div><div class="quote_post">That's a joke, right? Sure, it could happen. But it's highly unlikely. I don't see the Magic finishing ahead of any 3 of those teams....and I guarantee I'm not in the minority on that one. However, if it happens, I'll make sure to give you all the credit in the world. (I say that because I know it won't happen.)</div> Why not? The Nets are lottery team quality until December. The magic upgraded overall. They still have an above average sg, and an elite point guard. The Celtics have no team strategy for winning games. They can no longer live and die by the three, because they dont have any three point shooters.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Celtics have no team strategy for winning games. </div>Well, you know that I have to disagree with that. This is actually the first year that they actually have a strategy. They have a GM and a coach on the same page and a roster that is well suited for how they want to play. Also, don't forget that this will be the first year that Pierce has had an above average PG playing alongside him. You are right in one respect. Orlando will be an improved team, but saying that they will finish ahead of the Celtics is absurd. Hey, maybe it's just my green blood, but I just don't see it happening. However, if they do finish ahead of Boston, I really don't care because they aren't in the same division. The winner of the Atlantic could end up being a below-.500 team, and still get the 3 seed.
Truth is, they're about equal. Meaning neither is very good. If Hill is healthy (huge if) then I'd have to say Orlando probably is better. Francis, Mobley, Hill, Howard and Cato is a better line-up than Payton, Pierce, Welsch, Jefferson, LaFrentz. Not by much, but it is better. Plus Orlando has Turkoglu, Nelson, Battie and Garrity coming off the bench. The Celts have Davis, McCarty, Allen and West. To say the Celts are certainly better definitely shows some "green" bias.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Francis, Mobley, Hill, Howard and Cato is a better line-up than Payton, Pierce, Welsch, Jefferson, LaFrentz. Not by much, but it is better</div>First of all, Hill won't be healthy, and even if he is, what kind of player will he be now? Second of all, I'm pretty sure Jefferson won't be starting. Well, at least not right away. Third, You mean Dwight Howard, right? Because Juwan got traded, and I don't think Dwight is quite ready yet. Fourth, Mark Blount is still a Celtic, right? I'm pretty sure he is a starter(take that as being as sarcastic as I possibly can be), and you don't even have him listed? You also left out Googs, Perkins, and Banks. If you're going to list Pat Garrity, than you might as well list those 3 players for the Celtics because each of them will be more important to the Celtics than Pat will be for the Magic. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Plus Orlando has Turkoglu, Nelson, Battie and Garrity coming off the bench. The Celts have Davis, McCarty, Allen and West. </div>Well, when Hill goes down, Turkoglu will most likely become a starter. That leaves Nelson, Battie, and Garrity. Battie and Garrity have had their problems with injuries lately, and if Howard proves to be ineffective, than one of those two guys will be playing more minutes than their aging bodies can handle. Nelson will contribute a little off the bench, but I don't see him being significantly better than West this year. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">To say the Celts are certainly better definitely shows some "green" bias.</div>Hey, maybe that's how you see it, but I don't understand why. On one hand, you have the team that was last place in the east last year. On the other you have a team that actually made the playoffs after suffering through one of the strangest seasons a team's ever been through. Both have made improvements, but nothing to make them significantly better. I can't get myself to believe that Orlando is so much of an improved team that it will gain 15+ games on the Celtics.
Tom Gugliotta? Marcus Banks and Kendrick Perkins? More important than Garrity? Garrity actually has a skill (shooting) that makes him valuable. Gugliotta, Banks and Perkins all look like basketball players, but that's about it. Actually, I'll give Perkins the benefit of the doubt, he could develop into a poor man's Eddy Curry (take that as sarcastically as you possibly can). Googs has been done for the better part of a decade, and Banks will never be more than a two-minute, change of pace, pressure defense type of guy. I'll concede the Blount oversight (for what it's worth) and say the two lineups are still about even. Blount vs. Cato? I must say that's not exactly an overwhelming plus in the Celts' favor. Dude, you're hopelessly devoted to your team (not a bad thing) but take the rose-colored glasses off. But you won't have to, it's going to be fairly obvious that the Celts aren't any good by about November 30.
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one. Just don't mind me if I rub it in when I'm right.
I think the Magic on paper are better than the Celts but and I say but Boston has a better feel for each other and their surroundings. When Orlando has alot of new guys that will take some time to get used to each other and this could either take a 1/2 season or even a full one. But Orlando does have alot a nice players and their squad is tight as hell on Live05, lol.
Hey guys some of you may have remembered me, I posted here a while ago, Herse my rankings. 1. Pistons- I think that their excelent team chemistry and dominating defense will lead them to their 2nd title. I really hope they don't win it thought asd they are borign to watch. 2. Spurs - They can also easily win it all. THeir key is to stay in tact how they are right now and try and keep their best players healthy. THats what may fail. 3. Maimi Heat- I know Dwyane Wade and Shaq will perform great. If the role players magae to do their job as well as i hope, then the Heat are looking for a BEUTIFUL season. 4. Timeber Wovles- THe t_voles finally passed the first round last year. KG is in his prime now. KG is ready to help his team battle for an NBA title. 5. Nuggets- THe Nuggets are going to be great this season. They need one thing though. A accurate and deadly shooter. Until they add one of those they wont be serious play off contenders. 6. Pacers- Jermaine O Neal is the dominating power forward in the East. In order for the PAcers to be able to take the East they're going to need a decent center. JEff Foster just won't cut it. 7. Lakers- THey didnt get ripped off as much as you think with the blcok buster Shaq trade, but the Heat indeed got the beetter of th Trade. They have lost alot of size and strengh, and I don't see them winning a title with out a dominating center. THe Lakers never have won without the dominant center. Mikan, Kareem, and Chamberlain, and Shaq are all dominant centers that helped creat dynasties. LAker History has proven they have only won with a dominating center. That they dont have in Vlade Divac. 8. Kings- They can be a play off contender but not serious. THey're team chemistry is the thing that will sto pthe min their tracks for Royal domination. lol 9. Sixers- The Sixers rest on IVersons shoulders. Their new coach will surely point them in a new direction though. His dedication will lead the Sixers to the top of the Atlantic Division. 10. Grizzlies- They are definetly a underrated team with a very bright future. LAst years playoffs were only the beginning of the GRizzlies franchise. Once Pau Gasol gains more experiance the Grizzlies will be one of the top teams. 11. Rockets- T-Mac and Yao are going to be an interesting duo. What thw Rockets need is reliable pint guard. Tyronn Lue just won't cut it. 12. Mavericks- THe Mavs will be a good team just not great. They need a vet. 13. Cavaliers- The Cavs are on the rise. THey will definetly make the play offs this year. They will turn into a dynasty later on. 14. Jazz- Utah has greatly improved but so have most other teams. 15. MAgic- THis will be the leagues most improved team with the GREAT additions of Francis, Mobley, and Howard. Im too lazy to do anything more than the top 15. Easter Conference Play Off PRediction as of now 1. Pistons 2. Heat 3.Sixers 4. Pacers 5. Cavs 6. Orlando Magic 7. New York Knicks 8. NEw JErsey Nets Western 1. Spurs 2. T-Woves 3. Lakers 4- Nuggets 5. Kings 6.Memphis Grizzlies 7. Rockets 8. Mavericks Thats my predctions for the new season.
Yeah, you're right. The Sixers are better than the Rockets, Grizzlies, Jazz, and Mavs. I know the Sixers are your favorite team, but that's just ridiculous.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> They will struggle this year but will not be worse than teams like Clippers, Hawks, Bulls, Wizards and Raptors. </div> Seattle might be "better" in your eyes just because they are in the West Conference and you feel that if they traded places, Seattle would win but just compare the two rosters right now and you can clearly tell which is the better team. I know, rosters don't count for much until your actually out there on the floor so no pre-season games are gonna move me to make a decision on neither team but roster-wise, the Raptors look MUCH better. Yes, MUCH better. And for the record, the Raps also have a fair shot of winning the Atlantic division and clinching the 3rd seed. Nonethelss, I felt the Sonics were ranked too low as well. 29th= Atlanta. But, it's only Marc Stein. This power ranking stuff doesn't mean anything. He will be wrong about more teams then he will be right and all he'll say is "oh I was wrong." I wouldn't look at this too religiously.
