It starts tonight. This also came out today. I don't believe I even have to ask for thoughts on this...
Maybe it's just me, but it seemed like an abnormally high number of offensive fouls were called in the Heat/Celtics game. Things we learned tonight Marquis Daniels can't guard Lebron Bosh is probably going to be a disappointment this year The rest of the Heat roster is pretty bad I'm looking forward to seeing what Dwight Howard does to them with that weak front court.
Pretty interesting start. Lakers Ceremony was corny as fuck, and they're trying to sell the team unity thing like crazy. Winning rings does that for you. Miami does not have the chemistry. Boston will not be in the Finals this year because Miami will be able to get everyone going at once because LBJ wants to be PG, Wade doesn't. Boston can never get all 4 guys firing on all cylinders in one game. Durant just torched my hometown team. Can't wait to see OKC vs. Lakers again. It'll be great.
I don't know what to say about the Cavs beating Boston besides it was much needed for a badly bruised and beaten fan base over the past few months. Could we be a sleeper? Maybe. Either way, it was refreshing to see team basketball played in Cleveland rather than LeBron sits at the top of the key and dribbles, biting his lip and motioning his hands frantically. This new Cavaliers team may not ultimately be improved in terms of wins and losses, but its a team the city is fully 100% behind and looking forward to watching. JJ Hickson is an All-Star this year. No doubt about it.
People are down on the Cavs, but I've said from the beginning that they're probably still a playoff team. The eastern conference isn't that good, and I'd say that they're in the mix with about 3 other teams for the seventh and eighth seeds. I'm sure the TV networks would jizz their collective pants if we ended up with a Heat-Cavs series in the first round. The Heat have a pretty good chance of having the best record in the regular season, but I would be surprised if they do very well in the playoffs. Just look at the match-ups. The only other legit contender without a strong post game is OKC, and they have Westbrook and Durant. Can Bosh carry them through that series? Do they even get that far? I'm actually hoping for a Heat-Lakers final so that Kobe has to guard someone good for a change. It's ridiculous that he gets first team all-defense guarding whoever is the worst player in the other team's backcourt while Artest is on the best player.
The blazers won their second game in a row and I am pleasantly surprised how much love they are getting from the media right now. Westley Mathews only played 16 minutes tonight but he killed it last night. Looks like Aldridge will never have a low post game, I'm over it. I'm optimistic about the season and were only going to get better when przybella comes back. By the way Blake Griffin is going to be an absolute beast in the league.
You came to these sterling points on the basis of ONE single fucking game? Against one of the best defenses in the league? This is why I hate discussing sports with most people. They jump to outrageous, far-reaching conclusions based on extremely limited evidence. Putting aside that Amare, Howard, and Bosh are locks, and that Lopez, Noah, and Bogut are likely, and that Boozer, Hibbert, and Garnett are somewhat likely, making him far from a "no doubt" All-Star, Cleveland needs to win a decent number of games for Hickson to get consideration. Yesterday, they caught the oldest team in the league on the second night of a back-to-back, on the road no less. The Cavs were motivated, and the Celtics weren't. They won a close one decided by a slightly questionable three with about a minute left. It's a nice victory, but I think the Cavs still finish in the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
I agree with you 100%. However after watching one game I will venture a prediction. The 76ers will win less than 35 games this year, after only seeing a couple games.
The Celtics are going to win the games they need to win until they get to the playoffs. They will barely give a fuck until then because they are well aware of their conference. Cavs are going to the playoffs because Byron Scott is a solid coach, and well I believe they have just a teency weency bit of motivation to play their asses off. Honestly, everyone know the Heat bench was going to suck back in June, no far jumping outrageous conclusions from watching one game. The bench is who we thought they were. Blake Griffin committed a cardinal fucking sin, I'll never ever fucking forgive that man, not in a million years. He made me sit and watch a Clippers game. Damn him, and damn him to hell. In regards to the Blazers, I'm going to have to refer to Simmons. There is something about them the media just wants to love, not to mention the soccer moms. Don't know idea what the fuck it is though. No idea why Camby was on god mode the other night. Shouldn't he be retiring? As a Jordan Era hardcore Bulls fan, it is in my DNA to hate them to the core. If OK had a center, they'd be unstoppable. I don't feel like the West is a big of a lock for the Lakers as the talking heads want to give it. The Spurs want to go down swinging, especially Duncan and TP in a contract year. Coach Karl wants to make Melo feel like a god in Denver, and he beat cancer...twice. Houston feels like one strategy away from being contenders. Too much shit people are taking for granted right now in the West.
I love how everybody is quick to this bullshit defense of the Celtics to justify losing to the Cavs last night. Its their second game of the fuckin season and they're gassed already and can't pull a back-to-back? Absolute bullshit. If you watched the game, you saw a good game between two very different teams and, come crunch time, the Big Three disappeared and the Cavs got some unlikely solid performances in the 4th (namely Booby Gibson). I didn't see a sluggish Celtics team out there as much as I saw a determined and not nearly as shitty as everyone predicted Cavs team grind out a solid win. Last year, the Celts dismantled us opening night. Cavs this year are a true test of Bill Simmons Ewing Theory. As a Cleveland fan, I'll cling to any hope we've got of pulling some crazy miracle out this year. Will it happen? Probably not. Could it happen? Well, why the hell not?
Yeah, it's such "bullshit" that virtually all the 50+ win teams in the last 10 years have severely losing records on the second night of a back-to-back on the road. Must just be coincidence, right? This, coming from the same guy who wrote "JJ Hickson is an All-Star this year. No doubt about it." Yeah, and that couldn't possibly be due to fatigue, could it? A team that had a hugely emotional, important game the night before in a different city played decently, but gassed late in the fourth? If you want to root for the Cavs, fine. But you just sound like an ignorant homer here.
dchavok...I never ever like to sit and attack people's thoughts on a message board, but if you think the Patrick Ewing Theory applies to the Cavs, you must not be all the way through the 7 stages of grief that comes with a loss yet. I'm sorry for your loss, but no fucking way. The rest of the team has to be a certain level for that theory to be true and it just isn't there yet. I'm sorry, they're just not. Fun Fact: Debating with KIMaster is difficult, he will out research you. FYI. I wonder if the happy, I love my team LBJ will ever return. I'm not 100% sold on the Ice Cold LBJ yet. I think he needs a FACE to sell me. He just looks like someone robbed his shit and fucked his girl.
I'm not sold on it applying, yet. But it's not out of the realm of possibility. Everybody has written them off completely. Most pundits say 12 wins or something to that extent. It would be the greatest test of the Ewing Theory ever, though, if it did come to fruition. Its not like its a HORRIBLE team. Its a group of role players in an offensive set that doesn't rely on a star player as much as it does motion and finding the open shot. Perfect for a team without a bona fide superstar. I think its possible. Maybe that makes me a homer, sure. I still stick to my JJ Hickson is an all-star this year guns, though, KIMaster. I'm not budging on that. Again, call me homer all you want, research your dick off as to reasons why I'm wrong, I won't budge. He showed some serious gains from last year to this. Its going to happen. LBJ will never be Ice Cold. Its just not him. No matter how hard Nike markets him, or how much shit he talks, or what persona he puts on, its never been him. Come on, the motherfucker who would dance on the side of the court last year is supposed to be the exact opposite this year? No way. He went to Miami specifically so he could avoid the fact that he doesn't have that killer streak within him. I don't really see it in Wade or Bosh either. With that much talent between them, though, do you really even need to develop that mentality?
The Ewing Theory does NOT apply, because it's about teams getting better after the loss of a big star, not merely treading water. After the 2002-2003 NBA season, John Stockton retired and Karl Malone went to the Lakers, leaving the Utah Jazz with only a single player who had ever averaged double digits in points at some point in his career. Predicted to be the worst team in the NBA, they shocked everyone by winning 42 games, but still missing the playoffs. I consider that the absolute ceiling for similar clubs. The NBA is way more talent-laden now than it was 7 years ago, and Byron Scott, who has left every team he has helmed under bad circumstances, isn't even a fourth of the coach Jerry Sloan was then. The Cavs might not finish at the bottom of the East, but I will predict that they will neither win 40 games nor make the play-offs. You want to bet that they will do either? Maybe you're not aware of this, but All-Star members are not chosen in a fucking vacuum. There are two requirements; 1. Their team is at least around .500 by the break. 2. They are better than the other guys at their positions. Ignoring that the first point alone disqualifies him, there are at least 9 power forwards and centers in the Eastern conference that are ahead of him; Amare, Howard, and Bosh are locks, Lopez, Noah, and Bogut are likely, and Boozer, Hibbert, and Garnett are somewhat likely. Again, you can spout as much ignorant, blatantly homer shit as you like, but are you willing to make a bet that Hickson will make the All-Star team? I wrote this post first, but checking tonight's scores, Cleveland lost by 20 points to freaking Toronto, including a sterling 3-8, 6 point, 6 rebound, 4 TO performance by Hickson. Nice.
^Hickson also splits time with Jamison. In no realistic scenario will he be an all star this season (Jamison breaks his leg? Still, no). Rondo with 24 assists tonight - yowza. Those people bashing the Heat early on need to recognize the fact that it takes MONTHS for teams to gel (a year+ to reach full potential), and the Heat big three literally played THREE MINUTES together before that away game in Boston to start the season. You're already starting to see their potential brewing with the decimation of Orlando tonight. Howard fouling out with 6 to go in the 4th is something that you can expect a lot from Heat/Magic matchups. With Wade and Lebron both attacking the rim with force, it's going to be tough for him not to accumulate them quickly. I didn't read the thread thoroughly, but have there been any mentions of the absolutely ridiculous "protecting the nature of the game" (or whatever the fuck Stern named it) policy towards Techs this year? It is going to end up costing teams games (this week) because they reacted like a human to a foul call. I am FULLY in favor of curbing the bitching in the NBA, but you need to allow for the initial reaction (especially when it's a blatantly blown call), these dudes aren't god damn humanoids.
Oh yeah, the players can't say SHIT to the refs this year. They can't even say "That guy fouled me, come on!" to the refs. Technically they can't even show they are upset at a bad call. All the announcers said "Oh they're not going to call that during the regular season" except they are. It is total bullshit, players can't event walk away from the play/referee angry because if the Ref hears them, they can tech them. It is literally the dumbest shit in the NBA. Now, I was out at a bar, and I looked up and I saw Orlando getting raped. I read the ESPN recap, but someone needs to explain to me how they fuck they got assraped the way they did by Miami. I'm not saying the Magic should have won or lost, but a beat down was not expected by 20+ points. That was quite a bit.
So you believe there's absolutely no chance the Cavs improve? Alright, we can agree to disagree. But JJ as an All-Star, you've poked holes in your own argument. Will the Knicks, Nets, and Pacers be close to .500 to qualify Amare, Lopez, and Hibbert? Is the Big Three spread going to damage Bosh's stats that he just doesn't fit the mold this year? Noah and Boozer will be sharing minutes, barring however long Boozer is out with the broken hand. Either way, one of them is out of the picture. I'll give you Howard, Bogut, and Garnett. The other ones, according to your requirements, well, it seems as if JJ has a punchers chance. The Cavs couldn't get a rhythm going tonight. Watching the game was bad, definitely. The broke from the Princeton and tried to create their own shots far too much. Plus, those fucking Euro-Raptors just sunk everything they threw up there. The third and fourth quarter was just one long lesson in futility, as the Raps just couldn't miss. They played a solid game, Cavs didn't.
Improve from last season? So you think the Cavs will win over 61 games in the regular season and at least make the Eastern Conference playoffs? To which you append "we can agree to disagree"?! Wow, I knew you were a delusional, ignorant homer, but I never imagined it was this ridiculous! But hey, if you feel that way, shouldn't you accept my bet that the Cavs will EITHER win 40 games or make the play-offs? Yes, yes, and possibly. More importantly, do you want to bet on Hickson making the All-Star team, which you seemed so certain of a few posts ago? All-Star voting rewards winning more than anything else. Remember in 2006 when 4 Detroit players, Billups, Hamilton, R Wallace, and B Wallace, all with unremarkable stats, made the team? Slobbering over the Cavs probably doesn't leave you with enough time to follow the rest of the league, but Boozer plays power forward, and Noah is a center. They won't share minutes. From "no doubt about it" to a "punchers (sic) chance". The former after the victory over the Celtics, and the latter after the blowout loss to the Raptors. I guess some fans truly do live and die on the basis of a single regular season contest.
Orlando played like shit. Sloppy with the ball, bad shots, and more passes that went out of bounds then I've seen in a long time. Then Howard and Lewis got in foul trouble. Speaking of Howard, someone needs to lock him in a room with film of young Shaq and not let him out until he's got a post game. He had a significant advantage over anyone guarding him last night, yet absolutely failed to impose his will on the other team. If he can't dominate Z, how is he supposed to dominate anyone this year?
Orlando also seemingly went ice from long range at the same point that Wade started imposing his will on them (3rd quarter). Along with the perennial foul trouble issue of Dwight, that team does indeed live and die from the three; they died. As far as the tech issue is concerned, it will be altered (either officially or via memo's to the stripes from the NBA) or redacted in full by the all-star break. There is absolutely no way that this will keep up once it inevitably begins deciding multiple high-intensity match-ups each week. Random thought: I'd really like to see Noah stay healthy this season. He's capable of averaging ~15-16 rpg for the next few months with Boozer out (seriously), and that shouldn't slip to less than ~13 even with Boozer there. His ferocity on the glass is a site to see, and he's becoming a better than average passer for a big to supplement his offensive game; which isn't bad any more, despite having a 15 footer that commands gag-reflex.