NBA thread

[Dirty]

I'm a huge NBA fan and I bet it a lot. I always profit with NBA betting (complete opposite with NFL betting ) so I'll post my bets in here with reasoning in case anyone is interested in betting or just discussing NBA games.

Lakers look really good... Sheldon Brown has really come into his own, you can tell he is getting very comfortable out there and can handle the spotlight. I feel like he is under Kobe's wing a little bit and eventually he will lead that team. But it's LA's size that's so problematic for teams. They are going to easily wrap up the West #1 seed and stroll to the finals. No contenders in the west.

Heat are gonna grab the #1 or #2 seed. They'll struggle VS some good teams here in the opening month, but they have such a talent advantage over most teams that they will cruise past the bottom feeders on the league on skill alone. I was really impressed with the Heat VS Orlando the other night, though there was no chance of the Heat losing. Celtics are going to be a tough battle for any team this year. When healthy, they have been amazing the past few years. They are the most fluent and smooth team in the league and I can't wait to see Boston VS Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

as a lakers fan, bosh's stat line so far this year looks great.

13.5ppg / 6.5rpg / 33min / 1.5ast

how the hell are they going to contend with excellent rebounding teams come playoff time?

Rebounding and inside game will definetly be the Heat's biggest problem to solve as the season goes on. I think Bosh can bang down low with guys like Gasol, but they are going to have to have another big body step in and grab some boards and give some solid minutes come playoff time. I think the Heat are gonna have to see what Ilgauskas has left in the tank, and by the end of the year I think Jarvis Varnado will be a really nice role player for them. Having depth down low is key...and Boston has a TON of it.

In other news, the Grizzlies continue to be pathetic in every aspect. I thought they were on the rise, but they just signed Mike Conley Jr. to a big extension. Which makes zero sense, he is one of the worst point guards in the league... Early on here, I am seeing a lot of really terrible teams with not a lot of upside. The two worst being Toronto and Detroit. It's a stretch to find a bright spot on either of those teams. After watching Blake Griffin's debut, the Clippers definitely have some excitement to them, but they are still the same ole Clips. They will never go anywhere with Baron Davis running the point, they need to cut ties with him ASAP. Teams that I see sliding this year are the Suns and Jazz. Suns lost Amare and the days of that fierce offense are over. Nash doesn't have the talent around him anymore, which is kinda sad because what Steve Nash does is a work of pure art. Jazz just don't have much after Deron Williams. I don't think they'll finish strong this year, Deron is going to have to play a ton of minutes and he's asked to basically do everything. A team I see on the rise is Portland. They have a true go-to guy in Roy, and Aldridge has been quietly budding into a star. This year he will really break out. They have a lot of role guys, and when they get their big men all healthy, they are gonna be tough to rebound against. The thing I am most excited to see is what happens to Carmello. He wants out, it's just a matter of where he lands. If I were Denver management, I'd absolutely deal him and get some guys in return and some picks. Or else he is gonna walk in the off-season. The Knicks would be really intriguing with Melo and Amare... Watched Golden State the other night too... As I've always thought, Monta Ellis is a freak scorer. A true top 10 scorer in this league, and he will take the big shot. I always love watching the Warriors, and they have some serious talent this year (finally got rid of Maggette). But like usual, they dont play any defense and basically play pick-up game style so they aren't really going anywhere.

I called this at the beginning of the season and I'll say it here now... There is NO WAY the Lakers don't win another title this year. I'm telling you, refs play a huge part in who wins games and their influence is often over-looked. But even aside from that, can anyone see the Lakers NOT winning the west pretty easily? Does anyone see the lakers losing a game 7 in LA? I sure don't. Whether it's the Heat, Boston, or Orlando out of the east, the Lakers are grabbing their title and Phil is riding into the sunset with his 4th 3-peat, which is just ridiculous.

Just some NBA thoughts I felt I had to drop

[Deakin18]

Lakers are gonna win, but maybe the Spurs.... they are playing well. Just saying, The Celtics Im gonna just say are gonna win the East.

[derek]

I say the Celtics are gonna win the title this year.. just way too deep... Lakers will most likely come out of the West but i would never bet against the Spurs if they're healthy. They know how to defend the triangle of the Lakers plus they got a good big in Tiago Splitter.

[dac]

I can't see anyone but the Lakers or Mavericks winning it all this year. Dallas is scary-deep.

[Dirty]

Dallas will win 50+ like they do every year, but they aren't serious contenders. Only one real scorer and too unathletic on defense with Kidd and Dirk out there.

[debaserr]

not to mention caron butler's black hole like effect on offenses. their core talent are all past their primes(terry, dirk, and kidd). dirk is still plenty effective though.

legit title contenders:

lakers

heat

celtics

magic (really doubt this though. i have little faith in nelson, carter, or lewis. they could take leaps and bounds if they managed to land melo or paul.)

spurs

utah (biggest surprise team of the year for me. good thing for them they fleeced minny for jefferson.)

okc (doubtful but they have two top 10 players in westbrook and durant. if they could trade off some assets for k love or some good big man I would take them more seriously.)

[Dirty]

Originally Posted by eric generic

not to mention caron butler's black hole like effect on offenses. their core talent are all past their primes(terry, dirk, and kidd). dirk is still plenty effective though.

legit title contenders:

lakers

celtics

magic (really doubt this though. unless they trade for paul or melo while dumping carter)

spurs

utah (biggest surprise team of the year for me. good thing for them they fleeced minny for jefferson.)

okc (doubtful but they have two top 10 players in westbrook and durant. if they could trade off some assets for k love or some good big man I would take them more seriously.)

Ah cmon now, Miami is still a legit title contender even though they started slow

[debaserr]

whoops. didn't mean to omit them.

[Dirty]

Only 3 REALLY serious contenders to me are Lakers, Celtics, and Heat.

Then there's a step down the ladder with Thunder, Spurs, and Magic

Then the third tier I'd put Utah and the Mavs.


I think the Thunder are good enough to bang with just about anyone right now. Absolutely scary what they could do in the west in the next decade if that core of Durant, Westbrook, and Green stay intact. They've got a stud point guard in a point guard's league and one of the top 3-4 scorers in the game who can get any shot he wants and unlimited range. Lovin the Thunder.

Still not sold on Utah. They've always had a hard time winning me over. Not sure they are physical enough down low to bang with the big boys. Though I DO think letting Boozer go was smart, I was saying last year that Millsap is better. Boozer is over rated, you need guys that protect the rim and Jazz couldn't do that. Deron Williams always gives Utah a chance but I just don't see enough scorers out there for them for me to take them real serious.

And damnit, I HATE the Spurs. Always have, always will. I grew up as a little kid loving Shaq (so I rooted for Orlando and Lakers). So I watched a lot of Spurs games, and they would get so many calls it's ridiculous. Always regarded them as fundamental, but so cheap in how they would win. Biggest flopping team in the NBA with Ginobili, Parker, Duncan, and Bowen when he played. And I hated the Hack-A-Shaq bull**** too. But I have always loved Popovich as a coach and once again he has his team looking great. Spurs are always under the radar, never flashy, and always a contender.

[dac]

Originally Posted by Dirty

Only 3 REALLY serious contenders to me are Lakers, Celtics, and Heat.

Then there's a step down the ladder with Thunder, Spurs, and Magic

Then the third tier I'd put Utah and the Mavs.


I think the Thunder are good enough to bang with just about anyone right now. Absolutely scary what they could do in the west in the next decade if that core of Durant, Westbrook, and Green stay intact. They've got a stud point guard in a point guard's league and one of the top 3-4 scorers in the game who can get any shot he wants and unlimited range. Lovin the Thunder.

Still not sold on Utah. They've always had a hard time winning me over. Not sure they are physical enough down low to bang with the big boys. Though I DO think letting Boozer go was smart, I was saying last year that Millsap is better. Boozer is over rated, you need guys that protect the rim and Jazz couldn't do that. Deron Williams always gives Utah a chance but I just don't see enough scorers out there for them for me to take them real serious.

And damnit, I HATE the Spurs. Always have, always will. I grew up as a little kid loving Shaq (so I rooted for Orlando and Lakers). So I watched a lot of Spurs games, and they would get so many calls it's ridiculous. Always regarded them as fundamental, but so cheap in how they would win. Biggest flopping team in the NBA with Ginobili, Parker, Duncan, and Bowen when he played. And I hated the Hack-A-Shaq bull**** too. But I have always loved Popovich as a coach and once again he has his team looking great. Spurs are always under the radar, never flashy, and always a contender.

I LOOOVVEEE hack a shaq. If you spend that many years of your life playing basketball and you still can't make free throws consistently, then you deserve to be abused.