A top four spot in the West is available - why not take it?

So.....this means you are taking the sig bet??

 

http://bbs.clutchcity.net/php3/showthread.php?s=&threadid=67053&perpage=30&pagenumber=3

I am going to give you your conditions, even though you still lost badly when I gave them to you last year.

The odds are stacked against you.

 

The west conf. will be even tougher because of all the changes...
I think San Antonio and Dallas have taken a small step back and LA, Phoenix, Houston, Minn all will be stepping up.

Sacramento, Portland, Seattle are big ?????????

Depth is more important than ever because the west is more physical and bigger than the east conf.

Dallas really needs a center and some low post defense.
Gary Payton will make a huge difference in LA
San Antonio will ride TD until he drops
Phoenix has a nice starting lineup

I hope Steve and Yao stay healthy.. they give us a shot at it.
If we get into the playoffs healthy anything could happen.

 

With regards to your assesment of Dallas and Minnesota, I don't buy it.

Turkeyglue and Pollard weren't even regular members of the rotation for Sacramento for a good portion of the season.
They lost JJ, and replaced him with Peeler (why did you leave him out of your original post?? ). I feel JJ is a better player, but ultimately, the gap between the two is pretty small and not enough to suggest a drop off Sacs overall production. You are also not considering an improved Gerald Wallace who should be in the rotation based on his good preseason). I will take Brad Miller over Keon Clark every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Ultimately, Sac is still a great team and still pretty deep (Webber, Peja, Divac, Christie, Bibby, Jackson, Miller, Wallace, and Peeler).

Dallas will still win a ton of games, even without D. They lost NVE and LaFrentz, who weren't actually anchors of their defense to begin with. Against teams that don't have a Yao Ming or Shaquille O'Neal, Fortson should be an upgrade at the C spot defensively over Raef and Bradley. They have replaced NVE's scoring off their bench with Jamison and replaced Griffin at the starting SF spot with Walker.

Overall, I don't see enough of a drop off (if any), in either team to justify us making up 16-17 games on them. However, I know you think that JVG is the savior and all.

 

We are taking the #1 seed. Let the non believers step aside.

 

DR,

I am not going to give you an exemption for our 5th or 6th best player. This appears to be a deliberate attempt to get out of giving up your sig since you know that Griffin will probably miss close to, if not more than 15 games based on what is going on with him. Fact is, Cato and Mo are more than adequate replacements for what we know EG brings. Fact is, the team has played good preseason ball without him.

Sorry, I just don't see Eddie Griffin being a factor in whether or not we finish as the 7th or 8th seed, or the 4th seed.

 

If last night's games are any indication of future performances...and I realize that is a BIG IF....

LA is going to be dominating...Malone and Payton combine for 18 assists..
Dallas still has zero D, and if you get on them early...it will throw their offense off badly.
SA still looks rough...a Suns team that IMO isnt even as good as we are threw them for a loop badly..

that is 2 out of the supposed top 3 teams that are not showing signs of much improvement...

now, like I said, I totally realize that one game is not necessarily indicitive of future performance...but just think for a sec....what is it is?

If the Rox can improve even further, and play up to their skill level and maximize the coaching...
we could be top 5 or 6 easy..

Im cautiously hopeful....

 

R2K,

I was really impressed with Karl Malone last night. Damn. Almost a triple double. As long as LA can keep at least 3 of the Big 4 healthy, they should still be one of the top teams in the West.

I wouldn't be suprised if SA dropped off slightly. Nesterovic is a nice player, but I don't think he is going to be as good as a 37 year old Robinson. They lost Ferry, Jackson, Claxton and Kerr and replaced them with Horry, Turkeyglue, Carter and Mercer. The biggest difference there is Kerr's shooting, although its not like Kerr was taking or hitting multiple 3s every game. As long as SA has a healthy Tim Duncan, then everything else should come around. I suspect that they may get off to a rough start while they incorporate all the new guys into their system and get Parker healthy. However, they kind of went through the same thing last year. They started off close to .500 and after about a month, once everyone starting gelling, they took off like a freight train.

 

I don't understand why everybody rated SA and Dallas so highly. They do not impress me at all. I'd say Rockets overtake them this year.

 

DR,

Ive already said that JJ is a better player than Peeler. However, Peeler is better long range shooter and just as good a passer.

If youd rather have a scrubby Pollard and a rail thin Keon Clark over Brad Miller, then be my guest. Miller is one of the better starting centers in the league while Pollard is an end of the bench guy and Clark is an adequate backup 4.

I just can't believe that the difference between JJ and Peeler and Pollard/Clark and Miller is enough to drop the Kings down to our level. You are reaching as usual.

With regards to Fortson, name me one center that he can't guard that LaFrentz and Bradley could guard. There are only 2 centers in the West that Dallas has to worry about having a good defender for. Fortson is a better rebounder and defender than Raef and Bradley.

Bradley is such a good defender, that the Mavs often used an undersized Najera at C during crunch time. Blocked shots does not make a good defender.

 

DR,

Im flat out not going to give you an exemption for EG. Its too easy for you to weasle out of this bet.

Cato brings everything that EG brings, if not more, with the exception of his 3 point shooting. Cato is a better rebounder and defender. Per JVG, we were to expect EG to take far less 3 pointers this year anyway. Furthermore, with JJ and Pike at the 3, they offer better outside shooting than Posey did, which should make up whatever you lose with EG's 33% 3 point shooting.

Fact is, EG is a mediocre, easily replaceable player right now. If you are basing your Top 4 finish on an significantly improved EG, then you have absolutely no basis for that given what has happened the last few weeks. If you are basing your Top 4 finish on a mediocre Griffin, like we had last year, then I can't help but think that you just want a bail out on the bet that you lost badly last year.

You can't seriously think that a mediocre Griffin will be the difference in whether or not we finish Top 4.

 

The Mavs aren't going to play the Lakers every night...

Lakers
Mavs
Spurs
Kings
T-Wolves

Barring any catastrophic injury, that's the top 5 right there, write it in stone...The Mavs simply have too much firepower not to win a bunch of games...

 

I don't understand why no one pays Dallas any respect... yes they suck at D, yes their coach don't inspired D, yes that could mean they won't be able to win a championship because of the glaring holes in their team... but to say that we could beat them soon is just such disrespectful for their O.

yes, they played awful last nite and lost... but how many games you will expect them to have finley, nash, dirk combine for 0/14 on 3 pters? it's not gonna happy everyday.

I just don't see we beat their mediocre D and super O until we have a superb D and good O. and I just don't see that happen in this or next season yet...

 

Thats tru, but i think the Mavs will struggle a little 2 get all the guys on the same page and after that they will take off and leave almost all opponents behind. Dont forget about the Suns ether they almost beat SA last night, every1 is menchining the ROX getting into the top 4 but dont forget about the suns there much improved too. And as far as the top 4 go when they say its open they r realy refering to Lakers, Mavs, Spurs, Kings, & Wolves to lock thoughs spots in. IMO