The Clippers were not really a surprise, we were a much better team than people thought in 04-05 if not for injuries. The 04-05 team was capable of winning 42 games or so, add Cassell and Mobley, Brand becoming better, and the West also not being as strong (Phoenix, Sacramento and Seattle all worse), and it wasn't truly a "surprise". I guess Seattle sucking and Sacramento being bad were the bigger surprises. This year I truly have no clue, I need to think more about it.
I like the Raptors chances. Bosh will be better than ever and now they have a PG that will pass rather than jack up 20+ shots a game. Bargiani will have a pretty decent impact this year and Mo Pete is good at defense. I think they could compete for a playoff spot.
I think the rockets are going to be hot once again. A lot of people are counting them out b/c of their record last yr, but remember TMac & Yao missed a lot of games due to their injuries and now they have shane battier who's one of the best role players ever. They might challenge DAL and SAS for thw number 1 spot in the west. My other choice is LAL a lot of people {who must have not seen kobe play} think that they might not make the playoffs b/c of the deep west coast. But I think they could surprise ppl with the 6th or even 5th seed, now that L.O. and the others have officially had a yr's worth of the triangle offense!!
Magic, I was impressed by this team by the time they got rid of Francis, I hope they will be a surprise next year.
i'd say the magic. they ended the last season on a strong note, winning the last six games of the season (correct me if im wrong). with the acquisition of redick to help fill in the offensive side of the game, and keith bogans defensively, they have improved theyre all around game. dwight howard will easily dominate the paint on both sides of the court. look out for them to make a playoff run.
I don't consider the Magic a surprise team after the way they finished the season off and considering their youth. Toronto Raptors - And this isn't my homer pick. I think the Raps can contend for the 8th/7th spot in the East. Not only will we see the natural progression of Bosh, but I think Mike James' departure will add to his improvement. We've got our best point guard since Damon Stoudamire and a tremendous amount of depth: Anthony Parker, Fred Jones, Jorge Garbajosa, and Andrea Bargnani are all aquisitions that make us a more versatile and flexible team. The biggest weaknesses are 3 pt. shooting and defense (although it's won't be as big a liability this season as it was last.). Atlanta Hawks - This team has always needed a pass-first point guard. What do you think the difference between them and the Phoenix Suns was? I don't necessarily expect them to make the playoffs, but I definitely think they will seperate themselves from the rest of the bottom dwellers of the East. Depth and defense are still concerns. I want to say the Milwaukee Bucks, but I have no confidence in Terry Stotts as the head coach. And I think the Charlotte Bobcats are still a year away from being a surprise team.
why does no one think the wolves are gonna be a lot better? we have WAY mroe talent on our team than all of these suprise teams you guys are pickin, we just had too many moves/injuries last year to keep a solid record goin.
T-Wolves - KG will have yet another MVP season. You can count on it! Houston - They will have a really good year IF T-Mac and Yao can stay healthy. They only made themselves better by adding Battier to the team. I don't think they should have traded him for Rude Gay, but, IMO, Battier is underrated. Magic - Dwight, Nelson, and an even better Darko? They're going to be an awesome team this year! And we have G-Hill, this is really suppose to be his year, I hope they're right.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheFreshPrince:</div><div class="quote_post">why does no one think the wolves are gonna be a lot better? we have WAY mroe talent on our team than all of these suprise teams you guys are pickin, we just had too many moves/injuries last year to keep a solid record goin.</div>Talent does not equal wins, just look at the Knicks. However, it does help. And also, I disagree with you, because I think the Hawks have a lot more talent than you guys do. That team is loaded with talented young players, but therein lies the problem. They're all young. They've also had a different starting lineup every year for the last few years, and this year won't be any different with the departure of Harrington and with Speedy coming in. However, I think that team is super-talented and has a ton of potential to do well this year, as I've already stated in this thread.
In the West I think the Rockets will make playoff's next year. They got forgotten last year due to all the injuries, but if they're healthy then they're a contender. In the East I hope the Raptors can get their game together. I think Bosh is on his way to becoming an excellent player and just needs a good supporting cast. They also have may have coaching issues, but thats just a forcast.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Moo2K4:</div><div class="quote_post">Talent does not equal wins, just look at the Knicks. However, it does help. And also, I disagree with you, because I think the Hawks have a lot more talent than you guys do. That team is loaded with talented young players, but therein lies the problem. They're all young. They've also had a different starting lineup every year for the last few years, and this year won't be any different with the departure of Harrington and with Speedy coming in. However, I think that team is super-talented and has a ton of potential to do well this year, as I've already stated in this thread.</div> we have KG, who is tons better than JJ. ricky d and mike james are better than anyone else on the team (josh smith was a stat filler at the end of the year, not anything great yet). Hassell plays better d than any of em, and Foye is a better young talent than they have besides possibly marvin, who i doubt (either) is ready this year anyway. I know talent doesnt equal wins, but talent around KG, does equal wins. Plus we are gonna have much improved chemistry because of reasons i've stated elsewhere. I think the hawks are gonna struggle again with their youth, and lack of leadership. I really doubt JJ willl ever be a leader. He is a great talent, but just not a leader. Speedy may be theri answer to a high octane offense, but i dont think it is likely. I think the knick willl be suprising just because they have to do well sooner or later with their talent.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting TheFreshPrince:</div><div class="quote_post">we have KG, who is tons better than JJ. ricky d and mike james are better than anyone else on the team (josh smith was a stat filler at the end of the year, not anything great yet). Hassell plays better d than any of em, and Foye is a better young talent than they have besides possibly marvin, who i doubt (either) is ready this year anyway.</div>I have a lot of disagreements in this nice little blurb right here. First and foremost, Josh Smith is a great defensive player. However, his defense and Hassells are complete opposites. Hassell is a great perimeter defender, Smith plays great post defense with his ability to block shots. So, that's a slight misconception when you call Hassell a better defensive player. They're both great on defense, just in their own rights. Also, I think you really overrate Foye. Marvin Williams is far and away the best young talent on either of those teams. Personally, I think he's going to have close to a 14/8 type of year with Harrington gone. The kid showed a ton of potential last year in around 22mpg, putting up 9/5. Bolster that up to around 30-33, give him more touches, and his natural progression as a young player, and he's easily going to exceed last years numbers and be much better than you're expecting. The kid has a world of talent and can do pretty much everything with the basketball, pass, shoot, score, rebound, you name it, he can pretty much do it. Also, Josh Smith, again, a very good talent. He's already proven he can play on this level, whereas Foye is just supposed to be good, that doesn't mean he will. In my opinion, at this point, I'm taking Smith over him. He's going to be superior on defense and he's developing a very good jump shot so far. I think he's going to be very deadly this upcoming season for the Hawks. Also, Mike James and Ricky Davis are not better than everyone else. Joe Johnson blows both of them away for starters. He's a 20/6/6 guy, that has the potential to become a triple double threat if he can bolster his rebounding numbers. Zaza Pachulia is better than any big man you have on your roster, and Shelden Williams will be at least as good as Mark Blount this year, if not better. You really overrate your TWolves, which I realize you are a huge fan, but still. Foye may be good, but he's not proven. Marvin, while isn't much proven either, has at least shown he can compete on this level, outside of Summer League. Mike James, you are also severely overrating as well. Ricky Davis, also, overrating. Both are good, but you make them sound like saviors to the TWolves sometimes. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I know talent doesnt equal wins, but talent around KG, does equal wins. Plus we are gonna have much improved chemistry because of reasons i've stated elsewhere. I think the hawks are gonna struggle again with their youth, and lack of leadership. I really doubt JJ willl ever be a leader. He is a great talent, but just not a leader. Speedy may be theri answer to a high octane offense, but i dont think it is likely. I think the knick willl be suprising just because they have to do well sooner or later with their talent.</div>If talent around KG equals wins, than why didn't they do it last year? Last was a talented team, with Wally, Jaric, and all those other guys there in the first half, and than with Ricky Davis replacing Wally in the second half. The team had talent, but they couldn't win. Beyond that, if talent around KG equals wins, where's the NBA titles? They don't have any in the last decade that KG has been there, at least not last I knew. Even when they had that great team that made it to the WCF, they didn't go any further. So, that proves that talent around KG doesn't equal wins, and this team, in my opinion, is inferior to that team, so what makes you think they'll be any good this year, especially considering a lot of the talent has no experience with KG. Which brings me to chemistry issues. They're going to have at least one new starter this year in Mike James, and two of the other starters, Blount and Davis, have little experience playing with him and anyone else. I think this team will have chemistry issues early on, especially with Mike James, who will want the ball in his hands a lot after how much he had it last year. With the Hawks, they may very well struggle this year, but they're very young, so it's expected. Leadership is something I wouldn't question though. Joe Johnson stepped up last year and had a career year, and I think that he is, without question, the leader of that ball club. And might I ask, but why do you doubt he'll be a leader, just wondering. Also, with the youth thing, it's been proven that you can be young and win at the same time. The Bulls did it the last two years. The Suns did it. It's possible. It's just a matter of the young guys stepping up. I think it's possible for this team. They've got some players who've been in the system for a few years now. Joe Johnson is now becoming a veteran of the league, as he's entering his 5th year. He's already been in a winning organization, so he knows how to win. It's just a matter of whether or not the youth can step up, and if they can, this team could do very well.
Twolves and the Rockets. Shane battier can fit into the Rocket's system and Vspan will surprise people this season.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Moo2K4:</div><div class="quote_post">I have a lot of disagreements in this nice little blurb right here. First and foremost, Josh Smith is a great defensive player. However, his defense and Hassells are complete opposites. Hassell is a great perimeter defender, Smith plays great post defense with his ability to block shots. So, that's a slight misconception when you call Hassell a better defensive player. They're both great on defense, just in their own rights. Also, I think you really overrate Foye. Marvin Williams is far and away the best young talent on either of those teams. Personally, I think he's going to have close to a 14/8 type of year with Harrington gone. The kid showed a ton of potential last year in around 22mpg, putting up 9/5. Bolster that up to around 30-33, give him more touches, and his natural progression as a young player, and he's easily going to exceed last years numbers and be much better than you're expecting. The kid has a world of talent and can do pretty much everything with the basketball, pass, shoot, score, rebound, you name it, he can pretty much do it. Also, Josh Smith, again, a very good talent. He's already proven he can play on this level, whereas Foye is just supposed to be good, that doesn't mean he will. In my opinion, at this point, I'm taking Smith over him. He's going to be superior on defense and he's developing a very good jump shot so far. I think he's going to be very deadly this upcoming season for the Hawks. Also, Mike James and Ricky Davis are not better than everyone else. Joe Johnson blows both of them away for starters. He's a 20/6/6 guy, that has the potential to become a triple double threat if he can bolster his rebounding numbers. Zaza Pachulia is better than any big man you have on your roster, and Shelden Williams will be at least as good as Mark Blount this year, if not better. You really overrate your TWolves, which I realize you are a huge fan, but still. Foye may be good, but he's not proven. Marvin, while isn't much proven either, has at least shown he can compete on this level, outside of Summer League. Mike James, you are also severely overrating as well. Ricky Davis, also, overrating. Both are good, but you make them sound like saviors to the TWolves sometimes. If talent around KG equals wins, than why didn't they do it last year? Last was a talented team, with Wally, Jaric, and all those other guys there in the first half, and than with Ricky Davis replacing Wally in the second half. The team had talent, but they couldn't win. Beyond that, if talent around KG equals wins, where's the NBA titles? They don't have any in the last decade that KG has been there, at least not last I knew. Even when they had that great team that made it to the WCF, they didn't go any further. So, that proves that talent around KG doesn't equal wins, and this team, in my opinion, is inferior to that team, so what makes you think they'll be any good this year, especially considering a lot of the talent has no experience with KG. Which brings me to chemistry issues. They're going to have at least one new starter this year in Mike James, and two of the other starters, Blount and Davis, have little experience playing with him and anyone else. I think this team will have chemistry issues early on, especially with Mike James, who will want the ball in his hands a lot after how much he had it last year. With the Hawks, they may very well struggle this year, but they're very young, so it's expected. Leadership is something I wouldn't question though. Joe Johnson stepped up last year and had a career year, and I think that he is, without question, the leader of that ball club. And might I ask, but why do you doubt he'll be a leader, just wondering. Also, with the youth thing, it's been proven that you can be young and win at the same time. The Bulls did it the last two years. The Suns did it. It's possible. It's just a matter of the young guys stepping up. I think it's possible for this team. They've got some players who've been in the system for a few years now. Joe Johnson is now becoming a veteran of the league, as he's entering his 5th year. He's already been in a winning organization, so he knows how to win. It's just a matter of whether or not the youth can step up, and if they can, this team could do very well.</div> You misread/understood a lot of my points being able to block shots doesnt make you a good defender. Eddie g is great at blocking shots, but sucks at defense. I havent seen enough of josh smith to say he is a good defender yet. Marvin, i said was better than foye, but i dont think either are gonna be that good this year. Ricky davis is a 20/5/5 guy, and i was saying that james and davis are better than anyone else besides JJ who KG is much better than. last we struggled because of chemistry issues, with wally being traded, and new faces in jaric who sucks, and all that jazz. We have never put enough talent around KG imo. In 2003, we were riddled with injuries, and as i have stated elsewhere, last years clippers team had more talent around brand than the 2003 twolves team had around KG, but we still almost made the finals. I garuntee you cant honestly find a twolvs team that anywhere close to as good of a supporting cast around KG, and any championship team. (a little confusing, sorry i just got done with a 4 hour english class, im whiped out right now). sure there have been young teams that do well, but all of your examples had tons of vets on the bench and locker room to help these young guys out. Hinrich btw i wouldnt consider a young guy anymore. The Hawks have all the peices to do well, but i just dont think they can put it together. and the reason why i am overrating this years wolves team, is because as sad as it is, this team has the most talent on it ever around KG, so i have to hope for the best because KG usually brings out the best in players. As for mike james being an issue? i dont thin k he will be at all. He seems to have a very positive attitude witht this team, he seems to really respect KG, and ricky and blount have played enough with KG to really work well together i think.
WARRIORS!!! http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2565022 Nellie is back! Monty is out! Playoffs here we come!
