Questions
Was Ira Winderman in a coma this spring? Because I have no idea how any NBA beat writer who was conscious in late April could write, "[T]here still is no one clearly better [than Miami] in the East."
Ira: Was a four-game sweep by an average margin of victory of 11 points per game a scant three months ago not enough evidence that the Bulls are clearly better than the Heat? Would the Bulls have to win by 15 per game to provide such evidence? 20? While starting me at point guard? What will convince you?
Why is everybody but Hollinger sleeping on the Bulls?
Ira: Was a four-game sweep by an average margin of victory of 11 points per game a scant three months ago not enough evidence that the Bulls are clearly better than the Heat? Would the Bulls have to win by 15 per game to provide such evidence? 20? While starting me at point guard? What will convince you?
Why is everybody but Hollinger sleeping on the Bulls?
posted by BenGo07 at 8:58 PM
5 Comments:
A number of tings to address here -
1. The Heat being favorites or close in the East.
People think Shaq is 28 and can still dominate for a whole season and the playoffs. He can't; he wasn't even able to do that in their '06 championship season. They won 52 games, nice, but far from dominating in a very weak East. With an improved East I don't see the Heat making the finals unless they get the #1 or 2 seed and can then have an easy first round series. If they
have to play three quality teams in the Eastern playoffs (a result of Shaq coasting in the regular season and finishing say fifth) they can't do it. If they push hard to finish 1 or 2 then Shaq won't have enough in the tank for the playoffs. The Heat are too old, Wade is the man, but the supporting cast is really weak. Kapono is going to be missed as well, without a consistent three-point threat, it's too easy to double Shaq.
2. The Celts.
Not many teams win championships without stud pg's (yes, the Bulls are the exception to the rule.)
To me it remains to be seen - can they convince Webber or Eddie Jones
or whoever the vets chasing a championship are to sign up. Pargo and Brown from Utah would be nice additions. P.J. maybe? They have to scrap together something, or I think the Bull's and Piston's second units will make the difference.
3. The Bulls.
I'm glad the Bulls are being for
overlooked. Let Big Ben play with a chip on shoulder. Sefo seems to be playing great this offseason and I think a big guard is as much a need as low-post scoring. Can/will Ty get nasty on KG, can't wait to find out.
4. How to rank the East.
1. Pistons
2. Toronto
3. Bulls
4. Cleveland
5. Celtics
6. Nets
7. Heat
8. Milwaukee
5. Portland
Has 17 point guards and 10 centers.
Seriously, go look at their roster.
How do they not trade a big or two and a pg for Richard Jefferson?
I don't see how adding Webber, a guy who needs the ball, and needs it in the post, helps the Celts much when they have KG. Ditto for Eddie Jones, who plays the spots where they have Pierce and Allen. I suppose coming off the bench and giving them each spot minutes at both positions could be feasible, but as the Heat found out last year, Eddie Jones now sucks.
Pargo makes sense as a semi-legit back up PG and P.J. Brown makes a lot sense as either a starting center or backup PF.
I can't see the Pistons having a better record than the Bulls this year, but maybe I'm just being irrationally exuberant. And I'm not sure if the Rapts are going to improve by leaps and bounds either, but maybe. Also, you have three teams from the Central in the top four again, an impossibility.
As for the Jefferson-Blazers deal, that makes a lot of sense for Portland, not much for NJ. PG is the one position that they're pretty solid at, with Kidd and the CD stealer from UConn. Who else do the Blazers have to offer at center aside from Pryzbilla?
There isn't a good reason to argue with totally arbitrary rankings, and I really have no thoughts on the matter besides Boston is better.
I guess I'm in disagreement with cs over the Portland trade thing, Toronto leap frogging a number of more proven teams, and ignoring the improved roster and coaching in Orlando. The Bucks are a mess with no depth at the moment as well.
The Blazers don't need to make a trade because there's no pressure to win next season, and they might as well conserve cap space until a better, more durable player comes along than R.J. The rookie exploits of Oden are enough to satisfy fans, and the front office should figure out how to build around him before adding a nearly 60 million dollar guy signed through 2011.
Kapono isn't as good as the lost to free agency Mo Pete, and (more importnatly) the Raptors didn't do anything to improve their defense. The odds are against Kapono being as accurate from three land in 07-08 too.
Ramble, ramble, ramble.
Yeah, Pryzbilla, T. Green (third string pg), C. Frye and James Jones.
Gives Nets some depth, maybe doesn't make sense.
I put the Pistons first cause I don't want to jinx them and I hope them fly under the radar in the preseason.
Maybe Kapono isn't going to get them over the top, but Bosh, Bargs,
Garboso (sp?) should all get better this year. And the second year under their new system. Coangelo knows who he wants and he's usually right.
Yeah, vets for the Celts just to rest the big three. House is a nice pickup for them. Their awfully thin at the 4 and 5 spots.
I think they overpaid for Kapono, but he makes that team awfully tough on the perimeter. And you're right, Hot Shit, Kapono probably won't shoot the same percentage, but even if he goes down 5 percentage points, he's still shooting 45 from 3 land. I'm not sure how good of a passer Bosh is when he's double teamed--I would imagine he's pretty fucking good--but if he's decent, Kapono, Bargnani and Parker are going to get some good looks. I think the Rapts will be tough.
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