Check this out...[our division]

This is scary, every win in this division will be a tough one.

 

Actually, we play every WC team 4 times this year... the same no matter what the division. So, every team in the western conference sees each other equally...

Next year, the schedule changes a bit, but I'm not sure exactly as to how many division games vs. conference games.

 

Next year, the western conf. teams in different division play 3 or 4 times each other. The teams in same division definitely play 4 times each other.

I hope we only play Lakers and Sac 3 times next year

 

in that case . . i prefer 7 times each

Rocket River

 

an interesting article, a couple of Rockets shoutouts, no mention of Dallas in there, I give it a B minus, but a good read

Surprises the rule in Midwest

This preseason, anyone who would have guessed the Denver Nuggets would be hovering atop the Midwest Division and the San Antonio Spurs would be dwelling near the cellar after one-fourth of the NBA season probably would have been committed on the spot.

Well, here we are, and the Midwest Division has gone insane.

Although the Philadelphia 76ers are enjoying a cushy lead in the Atlantic despite hovering around .500, the defending champion Spurs are at the bottom of the Midwest with a similar record.


From top to bottom, the Midwest is loaded with intriguing stories and quality players that make it the league's most entertaining division.


RESPECT THE NUGGETS


Sitting up top are the Nuggets, led by the baby-faced forward that carried the Syracuse Orangemen to a collegiate crown this spring.


Carmelo Anthony has been so good that voting him into the All-Star Game already is being considered around Denver.


"I don't even know what to think about that," he said. "The West is tough. There are a lot of great players in the West. It would be a great honor to be picked."

But Anthony is not lifting the Nuggets to respectability by himself. General manager Kiki Vandeweghe should be credited for making several shrewd offseason moves. Besides signing Andre Miller, which was a bit of a no-brainer given the team needed a starting point guard, the re-signing of oft-injured forward Marcus Camby and the seemingly minor additions of Earl Boykins and Voshon Lenard have been huge.


Camby has stayed relatively healthy and is averaging 2.6 blocks and 9.6 rebounds in less than 25 minutes a game. Teamed with little-known Chris Andersen, the two are averaging better than five blocks a game.


Boykins and Lenard, who scored a career-high 38 last week against the Warriors, are averaging 26.4 points combined and taking some of the pressure off Anthony to be the leading perimeter scorer.


The up-tempo unit is taking advantage of Denver's high altitude and running opponents out of the Pepsi Center, where they are 9-1.


JAZZ SURPRISE


The other big surprise in the Midwest -- the Utah Jazz -- also is using its home court to make a shocking early-season surge. Predicted by one national media outlet to be the worst team this season, the Jazz is 10-1 at home. Coach Jerry Sloan has somehow combined the talents of Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring, Carlos Arroyo, Greg Ostertag, Deshawn Stevenson and Raja Bell to make the Jazz a formidable unit.


Future All-Star Kirilenko, who's averaging 17.1 points, 2.5 blocks, 2.3 steals and shooting 50 percent, is the catalyst. But he has had help from two former FIU players.


Bell and Arroyo, who has had some injury problems recently, have been crucial to the team's success. Off the bench, Bell is shooting 44 percent from three-point range (12/27) and has maintained the defensive reputation he earned in Dallas.


Those numbers compare quite favorably to Memphis point guard Jason Williams, whose team clearly is not settling for just a good start. The addition of Bonzi Wells to the Grizzlies makes that team a legitimate contender.


With Wells, Williams, Mike Miller, Pau Gasol, Lorenzen Wright, Shane Battier, James Posey, Stromile Swift, Earl Watson and Bo Outlaw, coach Hubie Brown has a versatile 10-man rotation that can play the up-tempo game and the half-court game with Gasol in the post.


STRUGGLING TEAMS


The Houston Rockets hoped to be the same kind of team this season but has fallen upon hard times.


Meanwhile, Minnesota was supposed to challenge San Antonio and Dallas for the division crown with the additions of Latrell Sprewell, Sam Cassell and Michael Olowokandi.


With Sprewell showing some signs of age and Olowokandi showing signs he was a true Clipper, Minnesota is barely above .500. Cassell, though, still believes his current team is even more talented than his Rockets teams that won titles in 1994 and '95.


"Top to bottom, we probably do have more talent," Cassell said. "[Kevin Garnett] reminds me of The Dream [Hakeem Olajuwon]. His tenacity and his will to win is unbelievable."


But the team chemistry is lacking in Minnesota and San Antonio.


An increased role for Manu Ginobili, and the additions of Rasho Nesterovic and Hedo Turkoglu, have the Spurs taking for granted the player who won them a championship last season: Tim Duncan.


It probably won't take long for the Spurs to figure that out, but until they do, the Midwest Division race should be entertaining.

 

I wouldn't worry much about Denver their Schedule has been a cakewalk so far:

Out of their wins here are who they are against:

Cleveland (2)
Golden State (2)
Milwaukee
Chicago
Orlando
Phoenix
Dallas (w/o Nowitzki)
Washington (w/o Arenas)

Our schedule hasn't been THAT tough either, but I think their record is waaaay inflated based on where many of their wins came from!

 

Timberwolves are playing w/o Wally and Troy Hudson.

Spurs were without Tony Parker for much of the season.

Clippers just got Brand back. I don't think the Clippers are bad this year, I've watched a few games on NBA TV and with Brand and Jaric back, I think they could be ok.

 

denver wont keep this up and neither will memphis!

 

And neither will Utah.

 

Actually, our chances are better next year with New Orleans coming to town.

Look at it this way, and you'll know what I'm saying:

We play every Western team 4 times, regardless of division. So it doesn't matter who's switching divisions, it only matters who's switching conferences.

So assuming the only change in the West is the addition of New Orleans, we have to see how that affects us.

First of all, I'm guessing we win 3 of 4 against New Orleans. It's completely plausible. They will take extra pounding in the West, Baron will face better PG's, Magloire will face better C's, and so on.. Also, we've done relatively well against them in the past, I feel 3 out of 4 is VERY resonable, 4 out of 4 is possible, and 2 out of 4 is a disspointment. So based on that, let's say we win 3 of the 4.

Ok, so winning 3 of the 4 is 75%. If we take that 75% and multiply it by 86 games (addition of Charlotte), then that's winning 64.5 games. Let's just say 64. Obviously, our record will be below 75% and we surely won't win more than 64 games next year. What does that mean? It means adding a new team whom we will win a larger percentage against will mean an increase in our regular season %.

Citing that argument, we're better off than this year with the addition of New Orleans.


Another thing just occurred to me: We're already playing NO twice a year, so we play them twice more. The other 2 games will come against the Charlotte franchise. This makes winning 3 of the 4 games even more possible, as well as winning 4 of 4 more plausible.

I hope I didn't confuse you, lol, but if you got that, then you'll realize that we should be happy. It's like adding some extra Eastern conference games and also adding a brand new bound-to-be-crap-for-the-first-season franchise.

 

Sane, I'd like to agree with you about the Hornets out West, but I don't.
There is nothing positive about it for the Rox.

1) Re: playing the expansion team twice (2) a year - Every WC team gets the same chance = Wash.

2) To bet on us winning 3 of 4 from a disciplined, physical playoff team (in either conference) featuring Baron Davis and Mashburn is... a bet I'll take the under on, ty. Remember Cat and SF the season after we had some success v. the Mavs? The excuses flowing after each blowout loss in the 4 game sweep?

3) The worst aspect of it all is that - the Hornets are a playoff team. A high seed in the East, low seed in the West. There will still only be 8 spots out West. Yes, the Rox will be better, but with one significant injury (see Amare in Phoenix) you can get thrown to the wolves out West. Adding a legit playoff team to that mix will only decrease your margin for error.

 

Well, I guess we'll have to disagree on that.


I definitely don't think that the Hornets are a lock for the playoffs in the West. Mashburn will definitely make them a lock for 8th when he comes back, however, that's as good as it gets. Magloire and PJ Brown won't be as effective out West, I really can't see them competing. Aside from that, PJ is not getting any younger, and Magloire will be facing much better C's in the West - Shaq, Brad Miller, Kandi, Yao, Divac, Dampier, Nesterovic, Duncan.

The Rockets on the other hand are looking like they will grab hold of that 6th seed soon. The great thing about it is that the team looks uncomfortable on offense still - and that's boud to improve. The defense will always be great under JVG, so any improvement in offense will improve us dramatically.

As for the Hornets, they are overachieving. They are, at best and WITH Mashburn, 2nd or 3rd best team in the East. my opinion of the East is such that NO would have to work EXTREMELY hard to make 8th seed, and they MAY have a shot at 7th. Basically, like last year's Rockets.

I definitely believe that we can beat the Hornets 4 times. Francis traditionally plays Baron very well, and they have NO answer to Yao or Mobley. I honestly don't think they can score much on us, I just don't see it.

Head to head, I'd bet on winning 3 of 4, and I'd say winning 4 of 4 is just as likely as winning 2 of 4.

 

so, how is it that everyone in the eastern conference supposedly sucks, but if the hornets come west they are a playoff contender???

 

Reminds me of the late 80s when the Nuggests and Mavs were atop the Midwest.