Since we will probably sit out on free agency signings, the best news we will hear this summer till the season begans is that the Clips did not trade for Baron Davis or Andre Miller. The signing of any of these players would be a major blow to us since we will be battling these guys for a playoff spot. The Lakers, Mavs, Kings, Spurs, Timberwolves, and the Blazers are locks to make the playoffs. That leaves only two playoff spots open for 5 teams (Rockets, Clippers, Jazz, Phoenix and Seattle). If the Clippers get Baron Davis or Andre Miller, they also would become a lock. If not, then I think they will have less of a chance to make the playoffs. So, no trade by the Clippers is good news for us.
look, anything can happen. No one is a lock to make the playoffs. Injuries and poor seasons from dependable star players are always a possiblity. Now the Lakers, Mavs, Kings, and Spurs are the closest thing to a lock you can get. Minn & Port are not locks but are very good teams. Most likely they will make the playoffs. Lets look at the other teams mentioned.. Jazz...not getting younger and have no bench Pho....Marbury is not the answer and they could fall just as easily Clips... Good team, good talent but never seem to get it together Sea... good team if they can keep Payton happy and resign Rashard, they have a good chance. Rockets... If we stay healthy and play up to our potiential, I would give us as much a chance as Minn to make the playoffs.
The T-Wolves and Blazers aren't locks to make the playoffs. The Blazers have a lot of turmoil, and management is trying to trade off pieces of the team (Stoudamire, Pippen, Anderson, Wells, Davis and maybe Rasheed are all on the block), and the Blazers are slowly slipping into mediocrity. The T-Wolves have problems of there own. Everybody but them are improving their teams and able to make moves, and even worse they may lose Wally. The Clippers picking up Davis or Miller doesn't make them a lock either. Questionable coaching will see to that.
<i>If we are healthy,</i> I see the playoffs as follows: Kings - Better record, same playoff result Mavs - Still trying to buy their way up Lakers - Coast until playoffs Spurs - As long as TD is playing Rockets Tpups - As long as KG is playing Blazers - Still good enough to get this far, but no further Suns - If they stay healthy Clippers - If they get a pg otherwise, Jazz and Seattle battle it out
FOURM or FORUM? I'm with Ron I care about 1 team and one team alone and if you can't figure out who it is you should be banned!
I agree w/ Rockets'03 & Dennis 2112. If we take care of our business we have as good a shot as anyone to make the playoffs. But if we faulter a little & the Clips get BD or Dre that would put some heat on us b/c either of those player would make the Clips a serious playoff contender.
The T-Wolves are by no means a lock! They could be in BIG trouble this upcoming season. ESPN Insider reports that their center, Nesterovic, is asking for a Sign and Trade to the Knicks or else just sign with the Knicks for MCE. So he could be gone. PLUS it looks like Billups is going to Detroit. With Brandon's situation very up in the air that means there would be a HUGE hole at the PG spot for the Wolves. And also their center spot would be an issue. And from the things I have read they aren't high on Marc Jackson (even though he could play center for them). So they could be in BIG trouble! Anybody want to swap Marc Jackson for Kelvin Cato?? Anyway, if the Wolves lose those players and can't find suitable replacements then you can count them out of the playoff race next year! Chris
It's the wrong "fourm" but I like the topic so I'll get a free "I'm-bored-baseball-sucks-bring-back-the-NBA-season-now" post: The Wolves might be moving to Deep Sh!*, Arkansas. Already losing Chauncey Billups. Maybe they can sign Travis Best? Wally wants the max (chortle), they no longer want Marc Jackson (maybe they only got him to have a tradeable asset), Nesterovic wants to go to the Knicks (but he's a restricted free agent). Jailblazers? Should make the playoffs on talent alone. Keep the bailbondsman's # handy. Clips? Would be really dangerous with Davis or Miller but you know Sterling balked because he won't pay anyone anything. If the Clips make a major move, I'll be stunned. But it won't matter too much, as they will recycle all other players (re: rookie contracts) and never stay consistent.
The Lakers, Mavs and Kings are 1, 2, 3. After that everything's open this time. Spurs? They have Duncan, so they won't finish below 6th. Sure, Duncan is Duncan, their cast is aging. You think Malik Rose and Tony Parker are going to get the same looks they got last year? No, people will be ready for them. Robinson, Bowen, and Smith are all past their primes. I'd go as far as saying Robinson may not play much and will be a very small factor in their season. Malik Rose is more important at this point. T-Wolves? Always ONE player away, but this time, they could be 3 players away. Billups is gone, Brandon will play, but he won't be the same player, and Wally may be gone. What they SHOULD do is come out of this summer re-built, if they're smart. keep nothing but Garnett and M-Jaxx. They can be good pieces. Sonics? They're simply not that great. Payton should have been worn out 2 years ago, he's been carrying them for ages. Lewis just doesn't cut it. We'll have to see huge improvement from Vin Baker, Calvin Booth and Desmond Mason for them to be competing for 6th. Blazers? They're simply not that good. "All that talent". Where? Dale Davis is their converted C. In the East, he'd probably be great. But here? He's....decent. Stoudamire? I think it's safe to say he needs a change of scenery. He can explode again, but not here. Pippen? Way past his years. Derek Anderson? (If they get him back) Bonzi Wells? Excuse me if I think we're better than them. Our backcourt tears theirs, and our C rotation is better than them. For all we know, Griffin may match up to Rasheed this next season, and Nachbar may well become what they dream of having. But still, we have Mo and Rice as well. Suns? Rebuilding. Amare Stoudamire, Joe Johnson, and Jake Tsakilidis isn't taking anyone to the playoffs. Clippers? If they pull off the deal, look for them at #5. If they don't, look for them at #6. I say we finish somewhere between #8 and #5. #5 is for if we're almost injury FREE, Francis and Cat learn to share, Griffin breaks out, and Rice and Mo are fit. Lots of ifs, but it's possible. Probably #7 tied with #6 is where I see us. Notice, I didn't even mention the Jazz. This is going to be a great season.
Wolves and Blazers are not locks. And just as injuries hit us hard this past season....who's to say it won't happen to the other teams in the League?
How many seasons has it been that the Mavs would finish ahead of the Spurs? It was great watching all these predictions go to waste last year, and it should be the same next year. The Mavs still have no interior defense, and still have not beaten the Spurs in a big game. Malik Rose isn't someone that depends on the looks he gets. He's a hustle player-- always has been, alwayswill be. Tony Parker didn't catch that many people by surprise in the playoffs-- people knew who he was. Even if he is given more attention, he did all he did last year as a 19 year old rookie. Any increased attention from defenses will easily be countered by the improvement he will make after a year in the NBA. Bowen's not past his prime... I don't think he's even 30! Plus, the Spurs will have Emanuel Ginobili in the lineup next year, the pick of some insiders (Mike Monroe) to win ROY. He's a fundamentally sound slasher from Europe who can shoot the ball, and supposedly is ready to play right now. I'd be willing to make a bet with anyone that the top two seeds are still the Kings and Spurs. People forget that the Kings should've beaten the Lakers in the playoffs, and the Lakers in the regular season are a far cry from the playoffs. I have a hard time imagining the Lakers sustaining motivation for an entire 82 game season. I also have a hard time imagining the Mavs winning a division without an inside presence.
I just wanted to reiterrate this statement again. Either or both of those teams could easily slip out of the playoffs. Remember, this is the wild, wild west.
Kings 65-17 Mavs 58-24 Lakers 58-24 Spurs 55-27 Rockets 53-29 Sonics 49-33 Blazers 49-33 Clippers 45-37 Wolves 40-42 Suns 38-44 Jazz 33-49 Warriors 32-50 Grizzlies 24-58 Nuggets 11-71
Phoenix is on their way out of the playoff race. They lost Delk, Rogers, and Kidd, and finished last season losing 14 out of 20, despite having a largely healthy team. Their two rookies aren't ready to contribute on a consistent basis. Minnesota is losing Billups for nothing. He ran their offense and opened things up for Garnett and Szczerbiak. They will need an older Brandon at full strength to have any shot of repeating their performance last year. And even so, they will be without their biggest spark off the bench which Billups also represented. Portland, Sonics. and Jazz got no better and are one year older with nothing to show for their efforts. Clippers and their management still have a lot to prove before people start taking them seriously... Rockets meanwhile is getting back 3 star players (Taylor, Rice, and Francis), and adding two proven players (Yao, Nachbar). Lakers, Mavs, Kings, Spurs will probably do better than the Rockets from the starting gate, but I simply don't see the others (Portland, Jazz, Sonics, Minnesota, Clippers, Phoenix) as better teams than the Rockets and certainly will be disappointed if the Rockets don't beat them in the playoff hunt.
I'm sorry, but until the Clips actually *do* anything, I'm not too worried about them. The Rox need to take care of their own business and a slot will be there if they do. Donald Sterling is going to manage to screw this up one way or another, he's already blown the best chance he had to get either one of those guys, and if he doesn't resign Kandi (not that I'm that high on him either, but...) then they're going to have guys jumping ship and it'll be back to the Clippers of a few years ago. Just a revolving door for poor schmucks that happen to be unlucky enough to get drafted by them, who just bide their time until their sentence is up and they bolt. Until they prove otherwise, they're still just the Clippers...
