OT: NBA 2005-2006 Season Discussion

[dbdynsty25]

Alright guys...lets get some NBA talk going since the season is going to start in less than a week. Lets hear some season predictions as well as breakout players and teams. And I don't care that Cheryl Swoopes is gay...like any guy in the world couldn't guess that half of the damn WNBA is that way.

East Playoff Seeds:

1. Miami Heat
2. Indiana Pacers
3. Detroit Pistons
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. New Jersey Nets
6. Philidelphia 76ers
7. Chicago Bulls
8. New York Knicks

Eastern Conference Finals:

Pacers & Heat

West Playoff Seeds:

1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Dallas Mavericks
3. Houston Rockets
4. Sacramento Kings
5. Phoenix Suns
6. Denver Nuggets
7. Golden State Warriors
8. Los Angeles Lakers

Western Conference Finals:

Rockets & Spurs

Finals:

Rockets & Pacers

Champion:

Pacers

----------------------------------------------

MVP:

Tracey McGrady

Breakout Team:

Golden State Warriors

Breakout Player:

Stromile Swift

**Everything is subject to change if Amare comes back at 100% in February.**

[reeche]

Pretty bold picking the Pacers. I'll do something similar to your format when I have a little more time this evening.

[dbdynsty25]

Pretty bold picking the Pacers. I'll do something similar to your format when I have a little more time this evening.

Yeah well, I was the one who went out on a limb two years ago picking the Pistons and that held true. I figured I'd do the same rather than the cookie cutter Spurs/Heat/Pistons that everyone else will likely use.

[reeche]

Pretty bold picking the Pacers. I'll do something similar to your format when I have a little more time this evening.

Yeah well, I was the one who went out on a limb two years ago picking the Pistons and that held true. I figured I'd do the same rather than the cookie cutter Spurs/Heat/Pistons that everyone else will likely use.

I believe the Heat and Pistons could easily have trouble this year. Especially with untimely injuries. The Spurs, however, seem like the most likely bet for a repeat champion, I've ever seen in my life in any sport. On paper, it just seems impossible they won't win it all since they are much better than they were last year. Only thing that seems like it could derail that is a serious injury to Duncan but otherwise that team is as rock solid as they come. I'll go out on a limb and say it has a chance of ending up as one of the better teams in NBA history.

[dbdynsty25]

You have to keep in mind that Duncan doesn't exactly have the strongest ankles. I have a feeling there is some sh*t gonna down with him this year, thus allowing the Rockets to take them in the playoffs. Sure, if everyone is healthy, the Spurs look damn near unbeatable...it's just rare that a team can go a whole season without an injury. The Suns did it last year...but that came to a screeching halt really quick during training camp.

[bdoughty]

East Playoff Seeds:


1. Miami Heat
2. Detroit Pistons
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
4. New Jersey Nets
5. Indiana Pacers
6. Philidelphia 76ers
7. Chicago Bulls
8. Boston Celtics

Eastern Conference Finals:

Pistons & Heat

West Playoff Seeds:


1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Sacramento Kings
3. Dallas Mavericks
4. Houston Rockets
5. Golden State Warriors
6. Denver Nuggets
7. Phoenix Suns
8. Minnesota Timberwolves

Western Conference Finals:

Kings & Spurs

Finals:

Spurs & Heat

Champion:

Spurs

----------------------------------------------

MVP

Tim Duncan

Breakout Team:

Golden State Warriors

Breakout Player:

Sheryl Swoops (opps) - Manu Ginobili

[dbdynsty25]

Manu isn't exactly a stretch man...he's already a damn good player.

Oh, and I had to edit mine and add the MVP category. Thanks for the reminder.

[bdoughty]

Manu isn't exactly a stretch man...he's already a damn good player.

Oh, and I had to edit mine and add the MVP category. Thanks for the reminder.

Yea I know but the NBA is not my expertise so I just go with what little I know.

[Inuyasha]

Spurs over anybody from the East.

[TheHiddenTrack]

The Sonics will make the playoffs at the very least, and they will probably be anywhere from the #5 seed or higher.

I still wonder what would've happened last year if Radmanovic and Lewis were able to play, they possibly could've took down the Spurs.

[bdoughty]

I still wonder what would've happened last year if Radmanovic and Lewis were able to play, they possibly could've took down the Spurs.

Tim scoffs at that theory...

[TheHiddenTrack]

Well considering the Sonics had to change their style of play in the middle of a playoff series because they were missing 2 of their best three point shooters it's pretty remarkable they were a lucky bounce away from a 7th game. They won 52 games because they could create mis-matches that made them at times almost unguardable.

They had to shift to being a defensive team. It was shocking that they could even play with them without their second and third best shooters and scorers.

Playing a reserve who barely played in the regular season Damien Wilkins, and a three guard lineup. The Spurs might've lucked out, Allen and Radmanovic also missed game one...and Lewis could barely walk.

They still probably would've lost game 7 because homecourt advantage is so huge, but anything can happen with those incredible free throw shooters down in SA.

[bdoughty]

Hold up a sec let me check something.

Thread title: NBA 2005-2006 Season Discussion

Not

NBA 2004-2005 Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda, I am having day dreams about night things in the middle of the afternoon season discussion thread.

[TheHiddenTrack]

Hold up a sec let me check something.

Thread title: NBA 2005-2006 Season Discussion

Not

NBA 2004-2005 Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda, I am having day dreams about night things in the middle of the afternoon season discussion thread.

I think it's relevant considering they retained every player of any importance other than their 7th man. Suddenly they aren't going to make the playoffs according to most experts and fans....THIS year.

[reeche]

Well I'm pretty traditional as to how I think the end game will play out.

East Playoff Seeds

1. Indiana Pacers
2. Miami Heat
3. New Jersey Nets
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Washington Wizards
7. Philadelphia 76ers
8. Orlando Magic

Eastern Conference Finals

Pacers & Heat

West Playoff Seeds

1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Houston Rockets
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Dallas Mavericks
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
6. Seattle Supersonics
7. Golden State Warriors
8. Los Angeles Lakers

Western Conference Finals

Mavericks/Spurs

Finals

Spurs & Heat

Champion

Spurs


MVP
Lebron James

Breakout Team

Cleveland Cavaliers

Breakout Player

Dwight Howard

[dbdynsty25]

Guess you haven't watched the Suns in the preseason eh reeche...they still look damn good even without Amare. Now they just have MORE shooters...somehow that's how it worked out. Just wait till y'all get a load of James Jones.

[reeche]

Guess you haven't watched the Suns in the preseason eh reeche...they still look damn good even without Amare. Now they just have MORE shooters...somehow that's how it worked out. Just wait till y'all get a load of James Jones.

Well it's hard to go against any team with Steve Nash at the point but I just think the West is so tough. The bottom three in the West is very difficult to pick. I think a number of teams have legit shots at those including the Suns and they are all decent to good teams. The real two wildcards in the West are the Lakers and the Warriors. Depending on how they perform that could open up a lot of different outcomes. The Lakers pick on my part is more based on Jackson's mystique rather than anything intelligent for example.

[dbdynsty25]

Yeah, I'm not going nuts and saying the Suns are going to do the damage they did last year in the West, but they will still be better than most of the teams, hence the reason I put them at 5. When I've watched the two games that were televised they looked exactly the same as they did last year. In fact, they look better because their perimeter defense was a lot more sound. By sticking the long James Jones at SF, Marion at the PF and Thomas at C, they are 10x more defensive than they were last year. Sure, they aren't as good scoring wise (sub Amare and QRich), but neither of those guys did a damn thing on the defensive end.

James Jones is going to be the wild card. If he comes out and plays like I think he's going to play (he's going to start at SF), then the Suns will be able to hold down the fort till the big man comes back. No way in hell they miss the playoffs though...the only way that happens is if Nash goes down for an extended period of time. If that happens...no way in hell they survive.

[sfz_T-car]

East
1. Miami
2. Indiana
3. Detroit
4. Milwaukee
5. NJ
6. Cleveland
7. Chicago
8. NY

West
1. San Antonio
2. Houston
3. Sacramento
4. Denver
5. Dallas
6. Golden State
7. Seattle
8. Phoenix

Finals: Spurs over Pacers

MVP: Zarko Cabarkapa

[TheHiddenTrack]

Guess you haven't watched the Suns in the preseason eh reeche...they still look damn good even without Amare. Now they just have MORE shooters...somehow that's how it worked out. Just wait till y'all get a load of James Jones.

I wouldn't put much stock into what happens during pre-season. And it's hard to believe they have more shooters, minus Joe Johnson and Q. You mentioned James Jones, who else?

[wco81]

I'm not as bullish on the Warriors. Expectations are pretty high around here but they have deficiencies at the 4 and 5 they've not really addressed.

And if Davis goes down, it's bye-bye to respectability. Maybe it's over 10 years of being so bad that tempers expectations.

They will be entertaining to watch. Their small lineup can be very effective when they're raining threes. But I'm not convinced that they could play small ball all season long.

Lot of teams have some new starters, as I noticed in looking at my fantasy roster. Just hope Marion comes close to last year's numbers without Amare keeping the opposition's 4 or 5 with their hands full.

[dbdynsty25]

Lot of teams have some new starters, as I noticed in looking at my fantasy roster. Just hope Marion comes close to last year's numbers without Amare keeping the opposition's 4 or 5 with their hands full.

Marion's numbers last year were pretty much the same as they have been for the past three years. I expect nothing less.

And the shooters are Jim Jackson for a whole season, Raja Bell, Eddie House, Leandro Barbosa and James Jones. Most of those guys shot a better percentage from downtown compared to Q. Obviously Q shot a ton more, but you get the idea. Somehow the Suns need to get 1000 three attempts out of those 5 guys...and they'll be fine if that happens.

It's going to be a little harder this year since there really won't be an inside presence to draw the defenders, but I reckon Nash is going to do a bit more scoring and driving to the hoop to draw those defenders. Just ask Dallas how that works for them. Nash went off against them and pulled them through the series when they took away Amare and the three point shots. This was all without Joe Johnson mind you, and NO ONE on the bench whatsoever. I also believe the versatility of Diaw and Barbosa will become apparent. Diaw was just buried on a horrible team for a few years (same thing with James Jones, but on a very good team)...both will do much better with the Suns in their system than they did with the Hawks and Pacers respectively.

It's all good...sleep on the Suns...just like y'all did last year. Just don't be surprised. Oh yeah...and you might want to put some stock in the preseason...the Suns did go 7-1 last year and scored 110 a game. Seemed like a pretty good indication of what happened last year if you ask me. And this year...5-2 scoring 110 a game again (one of the games lost was without Marion and Nash). Don't sleep.

And since this is the third edit to the post, James Jones is averaging 17 a game during the preseason, while shooting 45% from 3. I'll take it...

[dbdynsty25]

I'm not as bullish on the Warriors. Expectations are pretty high around here but they have deficiencies at the 4 and 5 they've not really addressed.

Just wait till you watch Diogu work...that guy is gonna be legit. I'm actually surprised he fell as far as he did in the draft. His last year at ASU was subpar when you compare it to the year before. Teams just took him away because they knew no one else on the Sun Devils could beat them...thus his numbers dipped. You will not be disappointed with him...and since you guys mention Carbarkapa...he's gonna be good if he gets the minutes. He just wasn't the same on the Suns after he broke his wrist...hence the reason they traded him. Plus he didn't exactly fit in the run and gun offense. He'll be pretty damn good as well.

[wco81]

You can't expect too much from an undersized rookie 4. However he does have freakishly long arms and I like how he got himself to the line in college.

Zarko was a part of the Warriors finishing run. He could hit the outside shot (including shooting 3s matched up against opposing big men) but also slash to the basket. But on the other end of the court, he's trying to guard 4s and 5s.

Baron Davis has a chip on his shoulder because some preseason publication rated him and JRich something like the 27th backcourt in the league.

When they played the Lakers in Hawaii, there was a fast break where he threw a pass off the backboard hard and Richardson trailing spiked it in with one hand.

If nothing else, they're fun to watch.

[sfz_T-car]

If nothing else, they're fun to watch.

and how long has it been since it was possible to say that about the GSWs