Embarrassing articles coming out of Portland right now. Sound like the LA media when Dwight left. Just a bunch of random shaming.
Portland media held their tongues because that's what they do. Now that LAM darted, and the fact that he left a year after declaring his love and adoration of Portland makes fans rabid for answers. The media will gladly fill that need because he is no longer a blazer. When Dwight left LA it was slightly different, it was more of shaming him because he left, saying he couldn't handle the limelight. For LMA, this was more of a "look at what we have been keeping under wraps to make this guy happy".
Can someone update the Spurs cap situation? It seems to me they are putting an older team on the floor with only minimum players behind them. That recipe is dangerous on the injury front and going in to the playoff grind. If there was a message about the state of the NBA this past season it was that speed, shooting and depth are the new winning formula. The Spurs certainly will have mid-range shooting, Parker can still provide speed, but they are hurting for depth and will be vulnerable every night when the starters sit or the old guys take a night off. I don't think it's overt homerism to say the Rockets will pressure the Spurs for 48 minutes every game with a distinct advantage for those 10 or 15 minutes when Brewer, Capela, Dmo and Smith are running hard. and the Spurs have no one to counter.
Parker 24 mins (can't have a worse season than last) / Mills 24(still a strong bench player) Green 32 mins / vet min 8 mins Leonard (getting better every year) 32 mins/ Kyle Anderson (talented 6'9" with PG skills) 16 mins Aldridge 32 mins / vet min or Cady Lallane (2nd rd draft pick) 16 mins at PF/C Duncan (24 mins) / Diaw 16 mins (underrated Spurs player, one of their best) Add in Ginobili or West or any diamond in the rough player they usually find. They will be fine.
Dammit, another championship for the Spurs. Would be amazing to see The Rockets upset them in the Western Finals. But how will Golden State respond? Can't sleep on them next year either.
There is this other team that has Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka. I think they might challenge as well...
Really, it all depends on their coach and what kind of new playing style he will have them playing... Can't include them in the championship contender status yet.
imo, they'll always be in that tier, provided both Durant and Westbrook are healthy. Brooks wasn't a good coach, and they've always gone deep into the playoffs when everyone was mostly healthy. With Donovan, I don't think OKC takes a step backwards.
Did you actually watch any games between the Rockets and Spurs last year? Or you just totally forgot how many bad FT shooters we have in our team?
If there was a message about the NBA last season, it was that there were a huge variety of ways to win. Rockets, Spurs, Warriors, Grizzlies, Clippers, and Cavs all had pretty different styles of play. I don't think anything last year showed that the Spurs style doesn't work - just that things work better when you have home court advantage. And the Cavs were competitive without any speed, shooting, or depth in the latter part of the playoffs when Kyrie was hobbled or out.
True, though Howard wasn't a free agent signing. Nash was pretty big though, and that didn't work out at all.
