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Who's going it all? Will the Nuggets come back? etc...
The finals is probably going to be the Heat vs Thunder. Well, that's what I think, so, what's your opinion?
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Lakers are fighting for the 8th seed and they're getting closer to .500. With Kobe now passing a little more, it helps other players get their shots.
And thoughts on the Rudy Gay trade?
It's obvious with the Rudy Gay trade that the Grizzlies are planning for the long term. I haven't watched the Grizzlies play this season, but judging by Gay's efficiency (or lack thereof), I don't think it'll affect them that much. They picked up an experienced player in Tayshaun Prince and cleared up a lot of cap space.
As for the Raptors, they picked up a nice asset in Gay, and it seems like he might be able to work better in that environment. I'm not really in a position to make a proper assessment though, as I don't follow either team closely.
I think the Heat are in a very good spot now. Lebron is on a hot streak. His shot percentage has been sky high. He's probably the best player in the league right now. He holds way too many skills. He can play any position, and is dominant in the paint. His shooting is improving a lot. Plus of the other guys like Wade, Bosh, Chalmers, Allen, Battier, etc. have his back. Also, about all the talk with Lebron vs Jordan. They're both great and successful players. But there is only one Michael Jordan and one LBJ. Let's put it at that.
Lakers, despite all the drama and inconsistent play, they're tied up with the Blazers. But if Lakers do make it to the 8th seed, they will not beat an OKC team or Spurs team.
In other news:
-Warriors slip five games and fell down to the 6th seed
-Blazers lose 5 in a row
-Grizzlies doing fine without Rudy Gay
-Raptors showing improvement with Rudy
-All-star weekend starts tomorrow
Thoughts on the players selected for the dunk and 3pt contests?
-Grizzlies doing fine without Rudy Gay
-Raptors showing improvement with Rudy
As I predicted, haha.
I think the Heat are in a very good spot now. Lebron is on a hot streak. His shot percentage has been sky high. He's probably the best player in the league right now. He holds way too many skills. He can play any position, and is dominant in the paint. His shooting is improving a lot. Plus of the other guys like Wade, Bosh, Chalmers, Allen, Battier, etc. have his back. Also, about all the talk with Lebron vs Jordan. They're both great and successful players. But there is only one Michael Jordan and one LBJ. Let's put it at that.
Some people will say Durant, others will say Kobe, but in my opinion, LBJ is the best player in the game right now, period. A few years ago, when he signed with Miami, I expected his stats across the board due to Wade and Bosh, but not only has he remained consistent with his Cleveland years, but he has also improved his efficiency tremendously. His FG% is tremendous, and he's hitting more than 40% of his threes this season. That's usually territory reserved for sharpshooters. In fact, his three-point percentage is better than Ray Allen's. It's mind-boggling how good the dude is.
Whether or not the Heat will win another championship is certainly a point of contention right now. The Heat have the best record in the East, but it's clear that the West is much stronger. The Spurs, Thunder, and Clippers all boast better records than the Heat right now.
Thoughts on the players selected for the dunk and 3pt contests?
Dunk contest: The dunk contest has sucked in the past few years, and they'll never match up to the dunk contests that TFB members participate in. They should actually bring in some dunk specialists and pit NBA players against them. Nonetheless, it does look slightly more promising this year, at least in the East. Gerald Green and James White get up high (heads over the rim), and Terrence Ross is a pretty emphatic dunker. In the West, things don't look quite as good, but it should be one of the better dunk contests in recent years.
Three Point Contest: They shoot threes. That's it. Nothing really interesting about it. They're all solid picks though. I'm expecting Ryan Anderson or Stephen Curry to win.
I expected his stats across the board
I expected his stats to drop across the board*
Almost a month late. The Heat are really dominating right now to the point where they would do a Harlem Shake video. Also, Kobe Bryant sent to the locker room because of pain in his elbow. If this is a major issue, it could blow up the Lakers run to 7th-8th seed.
Well, Lakers have finally gotten past the .500 mark, and I wouldn't be surprised if they stay at or above it for the rest of the season. They're ninth in the West right now, but I could see them beating out the Jazz for a spot in the playoffs.
Appears that all of the teams right now 1st-8th seed in the East have been pretty much locked in. Playoffs are closing in. If the playoffs started right now will there be any upsets? Which teams would be the sleepers? The Lakers do have a slight chance if they face the Spurs. So as long as Tony Parker is not 100% then they have a chance. One team to watch out for in the West would be the Nuggets. They're currently on fire and that can carry into the postseason. They are a fast team that can scare you with their speed and quick pace. One team in the East that can put up somewhat of a competition with the Heat are the Pacers. They have the height/foward/center advantage. Although they lack the star they require.
The video's been deleted, but I think I know which one you're referring to. It's this one, right? It certainly raises some questions.
Tonight's game against the Warriors seems to add to the discussion. I didn't watch the game, but the stats are absolutely ridiculous. The Lakers had 50 free throw attempts in contrast to the Warriors' 16. Geez. Both Utah and Los Angeles won their games today, so it's going to be a battle to the finish for that last seed. Something tells me the Lakers are going to get it though.
The video's been deleted, but I think I know which one you're referring to. It's this one, right? It certainly raises some questions.
Tonight's game against the Warriors seems to add to the discussion. I didn't watch the game, but the stats are absolutely ridiculous. The Lakers had 50 free throw attempts in contrast to the Warriors' 16. Geez. Both Utah and Los Angeles won their games today, so it's going to be a battle to the finish for that last seed. Something tells me the Lakers are going to get it though.
Yeah, but the rigged stuff is all behind us now. It's all about the playoffs now.
Buck vs Heat- I've got the Heat in 5 games. They're just a better team.
Spurs vs Lakers- I'll say Spurs in 5 games. Lakers lack depth and don't have a closer. Gasol and Howard are doing decently. The jump shooters need to step up. Although they lost Jodie Meeks.
Nuggets vs Warriors- I have Warriors in 6 games. A little biased since I'm a warrior fan. Nothing against the Nuggets. They're great in transition and fastbreak. I don't think their jump shooting is consistent. Stephen Curry is a beast. Jarrett Jack is a great ball distributor. They also have streaky guys like Klay Thompson and Carl Landry.
Nets vs Bulls- I haven't really decided on a team here. If the Nets want to move on Deron Williams has to play better. Brook Lopez is improving on the 15-17 foot jumpers. Bulls just need to work hard on offense.
Pacers vs Hawks- I got Pacers in for a sweep.
OKC vs Rockets- Rockets will give somewhat of a scare. Especially today, they proved that they can keep up with OKC. Still, I have OKC in 6 or 7 games.
Clippers vs Grizzles- A physical series here. But Clippers are doing good. Anything can happen though. They're going on the road and the tide can change. I have Clippers. Not sure how many games.
Knicks vs Celtics- Celtics are missing Rondo. Garnett needs to stop getting into foul trouble. Knicks will win I believe.
My predictions:
Bucks vs. Heat--Heat in 4. The Heat are too good for the Bucks, period.
Spurs vs. Lakers--Spurs in 5. I think the Lakers can get one, most likely at home, but the Spurs are winning for sure.
Nuggets vs. Warriors--Warriors in 6. Definitely one of the more difficult series to evaluate, and I think it'll be pretty close. The Nuggets were very surprising in the regular season, especially after losing Gallinari. But while they boast a better regular season record, they don't really have any superstars to step up in the clutch. Sure, Andre Miller made that game-winner, but he's typically not that kind of player. The Warriors have a budding superstar in Curry to rely on. It's going to be a close series regardless.
Nets vs. Bulls--Chicago in 6 or 7. Deron Williams finally found his stride after the All-Star Break, but he was contained in that second game. The Nets have more offensive talent, but the Bulls function better as a defensive unit. I think the Bulls' defense will end up trumping the Nets' offense, but this will be an interesting series to keep an eye on.
Pacers vs. Hawks--Pacers in 5. I don't know much about either team, but the Pacers look like the superior group on paper. They backed it up with a pair of convincing wins as well. The gap between their regular season records isn't massive, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Hawks take one.
Thunder vs. Rockets--Thunder in 5. I agree that the Rockets will give the Thunder a scare, but I doubt this series will go past 5 games. The only player they can rely on consistently is Harden. Lin and Parsons can have big games, but they don't come as often. Delfino seems to strictly be a three point shooter with limited offensive skills. The Thunder have Westbrook, Durant, and even Ibaka to go to for points, and Kevin Martin, while streaky, is a lethal scorer. If the Rockets can get good games out of Lin and Parsons, they might be able to steal one. Otherwise, the Thunder are almost guaranteed to win.
Clippers vs. Grizzlies--Clippers in 6. The Grizzlies will put up a tough fight, but the Clippers have Chris Paul. Even though he's slowed down, I've seen it too many times: when he wants it, he's **** near unstoppable.
Knicks vs. Celtics--Knicks in 4. Without Rondo, the Celtics are just a bunch of outdated (super)stars with some younger, inexperienced roleplayers. Jeff Green has stepped up, but the Knicks are simply too much for the Celtics to handle.
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