9 replies to this topic

[thejohnnygold]

I was just wondering what 5 teams people would pick if they could only watch those 5 teams' games this season.  List them in order from first to worst and give some reasons.  We should leave Houston out because I think we can all safely assume that is everyone's #1 pick.  Here's mine:

 

LA Clippers:  Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are human highlight reels.  They are going to be a road block in the playoffs so I want to see what we are up against.

 

Chicago Bulls:  Derrick Rose, when healthy, does things few humans can do.  I am very intrigued about the Gasol/Noah pairing.  Likely the only team in the East that can beat the Cavs in a series.

 

New Orleans Pelicans: Davis, and the rest of their starting 5 are good--very good.  They lack depth and are physically fragile, but I think they will be tough to beat and fun to watch.  I also think a Ryan Anderson trade is imminent, unless they have convinced him to be 6th man.

 

Charlotte Bobcats:  I think they are going to be very good this year.  As always, if healthy, I really like this roster.  PF is going to be a question mark, but in the East I see no reason they can't claim a 3-4 seed.  Plus Lance Stephenson--what's the over/under on crazy things he does this season?  8?

 

Oklahoma City Thunder:  Two top 10 players.  Love him or hate him, Westbrook is fun to watch.  Playoff scouting.  It's fun to root against them.  'Nuff said.  

 

Just missed the cut: Minnesota, Detroit, Cleveland, Washington, Milwaukee

[timetodienow1234567]

1.) Cleveland : It's going to be interesting to see how the newest big 3 mesh. In case some of you don't know, Kyries catch and shoot numbers are HORRID.

2.) OKC : Is Westbrook better than Harden? Now is his chance to prove the doubters wrong. Many, myself included, thought that OKC should have traded Westbrook and kept harden.

3.) LAC : for the reasons listed in JGs.

4.) LAL : I'm interested to see if Lin can do more with Kobes tutelage.(He was a disappointment in Houston).

5.) NOP : interested to see if their talent can gel. They should be in the playoffs based on talent.

[Steven]

1. Spurs - Pop's mid game interviews.

2. 76ers - best team ever

3. Dallas - Parson's daily weight gain.

4. Bulls - Want to see Rose's leg break in two.

5. Lakers - Swaggy P and Mamba, nuff said.

[JustWatchingTheBall]

5. Phoenix - they will experiment with an extreme small-ball, four guard lineup with Dragic/Bledsoe/Thomas/Green, with Morris (the good one) at center. How do you defend a lineup in which everyone on the floor can hurt you from anywhere on the floor? Should be fun to watch...especially on the fast break.

4. Detroit - I want to see all the different SVG facial expressions every time J-Smoove launches an ill-advised three point shot.

3. Milwaukee - I think they go from worst in the league to playoff (eastern) dark horse this year. Parker is the ROY favorite, and I've read in a few places that they are considering using the Greek freak at PG this year. Isn't he like 6'10"?

2. New Orleans - two words: The Brow.

1. Dallas - for all the reasons I can't stand the Mavs, it will be fun to watch them flame out (as I suspect they will) and miss the playoffs entirely. I know Carlisle is one of the best, and Dirk is still somehow Dirk, but I'm predicting it now. Probably just the homer in me...

[Losthief]

No particular order:

 

okc- i got to see durant alot in person at texas....somehow that makes me like to watch him mor.

spurs- I hate them in a team sense, but like their players individually...im a complicated fellow

bucks- giannas...and chance to see larry sanders morph into artest 2.0 fully

gs- high scoring games w/ lots of highlights and shots

clips- griffen and paul fast breaks

 

if i had to be ordered.......probably gs, spurs, okc, bucks, clips.

[clydesmoustache]

1) chicago bulls - they have been my second team forever. Some guy named Jordan got me into basketball. Interest in rose's return the passing between noah and gasol and watching thibs defensive system. 

 

2) LA clippers - dunks and the best pg 

 

3) Gsw - If they stay healthy. Lots of scoring.  love watching the aussies in the league. 

 

4) Dallas - one of the best coached teams in the league. Will love to watch Parsons like one of his many  ex-girlfriends bitter and twisted but also understanding that it was time to move on. 

 

5) Cleveland - Got to see the best player in the world even though he repulses me a fair amount. My hope is the rockets meet them in the finals and we not only destroy them but also the concept of small ball.

[Mason Khamvilay]

San Antonio - the more I familiarize myself with the intricacies of team basketball the more I appreciate Spurs basketball. From the loop which I've grown to believe is the best off-the-ball way to utilize a point-guard (we haven't seen a truly ball-dominant point-guard win a championship since 1990!), to their misdirection screens where the big man doing the dribble hand-off at the top then goes to set a screen for the shooter cutting baseline who set a screen for the other big man which was really just a distraction to cause confusion for the shooter to lose his man, to the hawk actions which starts with a simple screen from the center for the shooting-guard to cut down the middle then curl out to where a double-screen is waiting to get the shooter open but that's just to distract the help defenders towards the shooter (the better the shooter the better the distraction, which is one reason why the value of elite shooters is in higher demand than ever before) instead of giving their full attention to the pick-and-roll which is about to happen between the ball handler and the center who set the first screen for the shooter. A lot of these plays are practically impossible to defend because by defending one play you're weakening your defense against the other play, and even if you successfully defended both plays there is always a counter pick-and roll or something that immediately follows--there is never a stagnant moment. If I could describe Spurs motion-offense in one sentence I would say it's a seemless flow, an endless weave, of demoralizing waves after waves of plays after plays each harder to stop than the last. 

I will post my other four teams later.

[Alituro]

• SAS: For why 2016 stated above, I may learn something watching their mastery at work.
• GSW: Fun to Watch
• PHX: See: GSW
• DAL: Comedic relief (tie between LAL for this reason)
• NOP: Lived there, think they will vastly improve, and am a fan of Asik.

[cointurtlemoose]

1) Cleveland - I think they/Blatt will figure it out, but there will be growing pains along the way, and it will be very interesting!

 

2) Clippers - I mean, of course.

 

3) Milwaukee - It's like a mix between the intriguing factor, the comedic factor, and the GIANNIS FACTOR! Just all around fun.

 

4) Spurs - Cause duh.

 

5) Warriors - If healthy, there's so much untapped potential in this team, IMO. I'd love to see if Kerr's presence moves things forward.

[Mario Peña]

(okay, I'm going to have a timetodie moment here)


I can't believe a couple of you guys picked the Lakers, really? Old man Mamba? Come on now.

 

Watching that team will be brutal. Out of every ten games at least 5 are duds, maybe you get 1 Lin or Boozer game and a few hot Kobe shoot-a-thons. sounds horrible to me but hey I guess some folks would enjoy that.