Which lottery team(s) do you think are most likely to make the playoffs next year? Which playoff team(s) do you think are most likely to be in the lottery next year? Last year, did anyone predict Houston and New Orleans would fall out of the top 8?
Get in: If Houston gets Bosh like it's rumored they might and if the Nets or Knicks get a couple of max free agents then I fully expect each of those teams to make a huge rebound and get in. Get out: The Mavs; I think Cuban is going to blow that thing up and it sounds like Dirk is non-committal about picking up his option, also think the Nugs are about to pull a circa 2003 Blazers
In: Houston Out: OKC. I think they're going to experience injuries. They had perfect health and still only grabbed the #8 seed.
I agree I think Houston is in. They have a lot of pieces to work with, AND a potentially returning Yao. I think Phoenix is out. The East is just too tough to predict, since it takes being .500 to get in. Almost any team can realistically achieve that next season.
In: Houston - Yao coming back + Bosh makes them a sure fire playoff team New York - Even if they don't get LeBron they will get players good enough to make the playoffs in the LEastern Conference. Out: Bobcats - No Larry Brown = no Playoffs Atlanta - Joe Johnson is going to bail leaving them without their best player and no one to pick up the slack.
Except they are young, will probably get a low post option of some sort this offseason and only got better as the season went on...they are going up in the standing next year IMO
I totally agree with this. My best guess is they end up with 55 wins and a second seed. God help the west if they get Bosh, Boozer, or some other legit low post threat.
Houston and NO are the only teams I can see sneaking in. OKC is only going to get better. Spurs could miss if they have another injury riddled year, which is very likely with the age of the team. No way we get any worse, because this season's injuries were a once in a lifetime event, right???
Right. Unless it happens again, in which case it was twice a lifetime event. Still pretty low occurrence.
Do you really think the Thunder plus a $10MM free agent are better than we are with a healthy Oden? There isn't a big man available who can solve their problems on the interior. And we're a team that beat them three times to one.
Knicks in. Remember, they were .500 until they traded Zach. They add a couple of famous free agents, doesn't matter which ones. They keep Lee and maybe take back Frye. Rudy jumps there to play with Sergio. They play Miles for 10 games just to spite us. Could sign Zach from seller's regret. D'Antoni could make something out of Outlaw, probably not Blake.
What are the Knicks trading the Blazers for the rights to Rudy? Or do you mean Rudy will break his contract, travel back in time, learn how to handle the ball and perhaps save humankind, allowing him to join the Knicks?
I've seen things saying he "might be back for the beginning of the season." Nothing about training camp though. What I was referring to was several reports saying the Rockets "hope" he is 100% by next April. A laboring, out of shape Yao is not a good thing. Plus there is a high possibility he gets injured again if they try to play him back into shape.
Well considering that they took Yao's foot completely apart, and then restructured it, and then put it back together again, I will be surprised if he ever plays again.
