NBA 2009 Regular Season

[Kraznaya]

I am admittedly more interested in a "Speculate about NBA 2010" thread...

But who knows, Jermaine might be the better O'Neal this season. It's October, hope springs eternal. How are your teams doing?

 

[Azale]

I think DeJuan Blair is super sexy. He gives hope to kids without knees everywhere.

 

[Kraznaya]

I think DeJuan Blair is super sexy. He gives hope to kids without knees everywhere.

He would have spontaneously combusted had the Clippers drafted him.

 

[downtown]

Not all at all happy with what I've seen from Cleveland so far. This team misses Delonte West a lot, and I hope he is able to rejoin the team quickly. Parker is not giving the team the same offensive production right now, and he is worse at defending shooting guards.

Shaq is also looking pretty bad. -25 against Toronto. It has only been 3 games, and there is no shame in losing to Boston the way they're playing right now...but if the team doesn't jell in a month or so, they're going to have to make a move

 

[Archbob]

The grizz won a game!

 

[NBAfan]

Watch out for Dallas eveyone!

 

[Azale]

Watch out for Dallas eveyone!

At their top potential, they MIGHT be a top 4 team in the West. At their absolute top potential.

 

[NBAfan]

At their top potential, they MIGHT be a top 4 team in the West. At their absolute top potential.

At their top potential they can be number 2. Just watch it will be Lakers, Thug Nuggets, Mavs, and Spurs as the top 4.

 

[Azale]

At their top potential they can be number 2. Just watch it will be Lakers, Thug Nuggets, Mavs, and Spurs as the top 4.

Thug Nuggets? You confuse thuggery with stupidity. This isn't the Jailblazers or anything.

And I just can't see Dallas really competing as a top 4 seed. Where is the post presence? The bench depth? The superstars who can take over a game? Dominant offense or defense? There is nothing special or spectacular about them.

Don't try and tell me Dirk Nowitzki is going to carry this middling team to a 2 seed. Cuban is racking his brain trying to think of ways to get a bigger star to Dallas.

 

[NBAfan]

Thug Nuggets? You confuse thuggery with stupidity. This isn't the Jailblazers or anything.

And I just can't see Dallas really competing as a top 4 seed. Where is the post presence? The bench depth? The superstars who can take over a game? Dominant offense or defense? There is nothing special or spectacular about them.

Don't try and tell me Dirk Nowitzki is going to carry this middling team to a 2 seed. Cuban is racking his brain trying to think of ways to get a bigger star to Dallas.

How are they a middling team? Dirk Nowitzki is one the best in the league.

 

[Kraznaya]

How are they a middling team? Dirk Nowitzki is one the best in the league.

Just like he was last year, when they finished seventh.

 

[NBAfan]

Just like he was last year, when they finished seventh.

The Marion trade has been very underated I see.

 

[Darkness]

How are they a middling team? Dirk Nowitzki is one the best in the league.

Nowitzki is also soft in the paint and he has a nasty tendency to fade in big games...
He's a good player, yes, but IMHO he's not a no.1 option on a championship contender.

 

[Kraznaya]

The Marion trade has been very underated I see.

At this point, someone like Trevor Ariza would have been far superior.

 

[Azale]

The Marion trade has been very underated I see.

He couldn't win in Phoenix with Nash, Stoudamire, Joe Johnson, Bell, Diaw, etc and he did nothing to stop Miami or Toronto's slide. He is a nice complimentary player, but not someone that will put Dallas over the top.

Just count yourself lucky that Cuban has lotsa money he can throw at free agents this year

 

[downtown]

I think the ceiling for Dallas is the 3 seed. They have several good players, but they don't really have a balanced roster. They have an old point guard who can't score, two dramatically undersized guards who can "only" score, two troubled swingmen, and Dirk. Erika Dampier is good for 25 min of rebounds and fouls.

Guys like JJ and Jerry can be "microwaves", which make the team tough to beat in regular season games, but I don't think they are well built for the playoffs. I don't like their frontcourt depth

 

[Archbob]

I don't think they can even get to 3 seed. SA, LAL, NO, and DEN are much better(well maybe not NO).

 

[Azale]

Portland and OKC might also be better. New Orleans, probably not.

 

[downtown]

Yeah, def not New Orleans, The Hornets only have two players on their roster who can score (Chris Paul and David West...even Okafor is unlikely to give more than 13 a game). They have ZERO scoring from their wings, and have a paper thing depth chart. The greatness of Chris Paul will keep them in the 6-8 seed range, but no way are they going to be in the homecourt discussion without making a trade.

I think Dallas, Denver and Portland are all very close talent wise.

 

[Red Door]

The Marion trade has been very underated I see.

The same Marion that got embarrassed by a combo of Andray Blatche and Fabicio Oberto?