who do you think is the most exciting team to watch? Denver - Exciting up-tempo style. Sacramento - Intensity LA Clippers - Improved and fun. Phoenix - The art of building a team around a point guard (who can carry a team). Golden State - Baron Davis and J-Rich throwin it down. Miami - Wade and Shaq (not to mention the excitement that Zo brings). New Jersey - VC, Jefferson, and Kidd. Cleveland - Lebron in motion. Detroit - the definition of "team" and proof that defense wins games. Other - please explain.
I voted for the Suns but I really enjoy watching the Heat b/c of my boy Zo and D Wade. Anyone catch the game on Sunday vs the Cavs? The Heat were dead in the water (down by 15) and Zo's energy completely changed the game. Shaq was actually benched in the 4th qtr. I really think the Heat can beat the Pistons if healthy and if Riles plays Zo and Shaq together for longer spurts. I really hope the Heat win it all since it looks like the Rox are a long shot just to make the playoffs.
Same here. Outside of the Rockets, I like the Heat, mainly because Wade and Shaq are two players I like in this league, and Wade is helluva lotta fun to watch. While Shaq might be unhappy now about not playing as many minutes as he wants, I really think if he takes a long-term view of this he will realize that Riley is trying to make SURE that Shaq is 100% healthy for the playoffs to avoid their fate of the past season against the Pistons (I am damn sure the Heat would've won had Wade and Shaq been healthy). Still, I think the Heat aren't as 'solid' a team as they were last season. I think their chemistry isn't that good right now and they added some players that don't exactly fit; I think they had a better cast around Shaq and Wade last season -- may be not talent-wise, but sort of like how the Rox added more talent this season and yet last season's team just had better chemistry and were better contributors that fit with our two superstars. I can't wait for the Heat-Pistons rematch and then hopefully this time around the Spurs and Heat will meat in the finals...that would be a great series to watch just because of the matchups and the two premier big men in the league going at it (collectively, then won the past six championships between them)..it would be one for the ages; I would just hope that TDuncan is healthy then so there would be no excuses.
Rockets, seriously. They may not be able to hit the broad side of a barn, but nothing gets me going like a Rockets game. Other teams may have more flair and offense etc. but I just look for highlights and yawn at the rest. Maybe I'm just too much of a diehard fan.
put it this way: would you rather the rockets play like the suns and the suns like the rockets right now...or have things stay the way they are? i think you could at least agree that most (if not all) the teams on the list play more exciting brands of basketball that the recent rox (though rockets would no doubt be on the list if they were consistant in health and energy).
I voted for the Suns, but I think the Cilps are a close second. I love to watch them and dream about how good we would be if we had their back court.
i'm with you. and i think, for me, that says a lot about how i view the NBA, generally, right now. without my rooting interest in the rockets, i can't watch an NBA game start to finish.
I agree! I bleed Rockets red and will watch them no matter who is playing but I like the Heat b/c I've been following them since they got ZO back in 96. He has been my favorite non-rocket player since his rookie season at Charlotte. Fomr 1996-2001, I had my heart broken so many times by them and it was the worse in 2000 when Zo was diagnosed with the kidney disease. They finally surrounded him with championship caliber players (Eddie Jones & Brian Grant) and he was coming off his second straight Defensive Player of the Year award, MVP runner-up, winning gold at the Olympics in Sidney, and his wife giving birth. Everything was lining up perfectly for him and then disaster struck! Imagine how painful that must of have been for a competitor/warrior like him. I am glad he is back and even though it isn't his team anymore, he is a BIG part of their reserve group and sometimes even as a starter. This may be his last hooray so I hope he finally wins it all since our beloved Rockets are pretty much in a coma waiting for the plug to be pulled.
the most exciting basketball i've watched in a long time was the rockets last year with the inside/out of yao ming and mcgrady and our guards nailing the outside jumpers. it was a great combination of offense and defense, inside and outside play. who coached that team again? van gundy....hmm. this year i'll go with the heat. they have a similar attack and wade is definitely one of the most exciting players in the league. i respect steve nash, he probably deserves the mvp this year more then last, but i don't get excited watching the suns. in general, like a few others, i don't really get into the nba unless the rockets are playing.
What can the league do to get more people watching? The NBA is fading fast and I don't see an end to it anytime soon. So what does the NBA do to make the game exciting again? Rule changes? I for one think a good way to start would be to get rid of the rule changes they made a couple of years ago like zone defenses etc.
Fading fast? You're joking, right? The top 4 and bottom 4 teams are all averaging significantly more than 4 seasons ago and the former 29th has vaulted to 5th. ESPN average home attendance figures: 2002-03 1 Detroit 20,470 2 Washington 20,173 3 Dallas 19,912 4 Philadelphia 19,685 ........ 26 Orlando 14,778 27 Houston 13,784 28 Atlanta 12,894 29 Cleveland 11,496 2005-06 1 Detroit 22,076 2 Chicago 21,116 3 Dallas 20,104 4 Miami 19,924 5 Cleveland 19,140 ........... 27 Houston 15,375 28 Orlando 15,336 29 Portland 14,847 30 Atlanta 14,445
