2013-2014 NBA Thread

Larrys#1 · **on:** November 06, 2013, 11:19:33 AM

Not sure how many NBA fans are here, but I figured it won't hurt to try and start an NBA thread since the 2013-14 season just started.

Watched last night's Knicks game and I'm sadden by their third loss in a row (and against the Bobcats?!?!). Not off to a good start this season. I'm hoping to see a better performance on Friday. Hopefully, Chandler will recover from his injury soon....

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #1 on:** November 06, 2013, 12:00:16 PM

I'm an NBA fan & also a fan of the Heat, and not just because they've won the last two championships. Some might be questioning the Heat's chances at a 3-peat given some of the losses they've had already, including one to the 76ers, but I will point out that last year's Miami team lost a regular season game to the Wizards and everything turned out fine.

JazzBill · **Reply #2 on:** November 06, 2013, 06:09:09 PM

I'm a fair weather NBA fan. When the Bulls are playing good I'll watch. I don't figure to be watching much this year. If the Bulls ever plan to catch up to Miami they need to give Derrick Rose some more help.

Larrys#1 · **Reply #3 on:** November 11, 2013, 12:50:56 PM

Knicks got killed at yesterday's game. Lost by 31 points. Boy, they are at a great loss without Chandler. Until his return, I suspect things will get worse until they get better.

Constant fowling, poor defense, missed free throws, etc.... Woodson needs to find a way to get this team back into shape....

Stooges#1 · **Reply #4 on:** November 12, 2013, 07:00:51 PM

I've been a Bulls fan since the 2nd 3-peat in the mid 90s. I'm sure Rose will come good this season, but he's had a fairly slow start to the season. A Rose and Butler backcourt excites me, though.

It's been a great start to the season for Indiana. 8-0 after being 0-8 in Preseason. I don't know if they're the real deal yet, they sure gave Miami a run for their money in the ECF last season, but can it happen again like that? Miami are quite stacked.

Larrys#1 · **Reply #5 on:** November 15, 2013, 11:02:19 AM

Knicks lose again!! Are they kidding?? I'm starting to feel like they want to lose. Grrrr...

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #6 on:** November 15, 2013, 02:44:44 PM

Quote from: Larrys#1 on November 15, 2013, 11:02:19 AM

Knicks lose again!! Are they kidding?? I'm starting to feel like they want to lose. Grrrr...

Heh, well it's still early in the season so all is not lost... yet. The way the NBA works with half the teams in the league getting a playoff spot, the Knickerbockers could still slip in as a 7th or 8th seed...

JazzBill · **Reply #7 on:** November 17, 2013, 11:00:36 AM

It looks like Bulls are starting to come around. They were able to put an end to the Pacers 9 game winning streak.

Larrys#1 · **Reply #8 on:** November 20, 2013, 08:07:57 AM

It's official. The Knicks suck! While I'm a fan of theirs, I will not say they rule when they clearly don't. This is a horrible season. They can't shoot, their defense is terrible and they love to foul and give the other team free points. They're losing pretty much every game. This is bad....very bad....

Lefty · **Reply #9 on:** November 20, 2013, 03:00:24 PM

Quote from: Larrys#1 on November 20, 2013, 08:07:57 AM

It's official. The Knicks suck! While I'm a fan of theirs, I will not say they rule when they clearly don't. This is a horrible season. They can't shoot, their defense is terrible and they love to foul and give the other team free points. They're losing pretty much every game. This is bad....very bad....

Don't worry about the Knicks; they play in a division in which my hometown heroes, the 76ers, are in first place with a 5-7 record. If they lose tonight, Toronto will have first place at 5-7. And in 1971-72, the then Baltimore Bullets won their division with a 38-44 record. Phoenix was 49-33 and didn't even make the playoffs.

Larrys#1 · **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2013, 07:54:48 AM

What a depressing Knicks game last night! They had the game and Iman Shumpert had to screw things up.

Stooges#1 · **Reply #11 on:** November 23, 2013, 03:23:42 AM

Derrick Rose left the game tonight on crutches. Early reports are that it might be another torn ACL, on his other knee.

JazzBill · **Reply #12 on:** November 24, 2013, 11:36:57 AM

Quote from: Stooges#1 on November 23, 2013, 03:23:42 AM

Derrick Rose left the game tonight on crutches. Early reports are that it might be another torn ACL, on his other knee.

Bulls are done. I don't believe they had enough to go all the way, even with a healthy D Rose.

shemps#1 · **Reply #13 on:** November 24, 2013, 03:04:37 PM

The NBA seems to buck the trends of other sports leagues in that there is the least amount of parity. MLB and NFL take pride in this illusion that almost every team has a chance but the NBA loves dynasties and I believe we are in the midst of one right now. Let's face facts; it's too early in the season to throw in the towel on the Knicks (or Nets for that matter) and I highly expect them to finish well ahead of my Celtics, who are in total rebuilding mode and I hope miss out on the postseason so they can have a good shot at getting one of the big fish in the Draft. Either way I am 99.99% certain the Heat will once again reign as NBA Champions; to be quite frank I don't care if Indiana, Portland and San Antonio currently have better records at the moment. Miami has far and away the best team in the league, haters be damned. Do I want Miami to win again? No, I'm down on Florida pro sports teams in general because Florida sports fans kinda suck and are the definition of fair weather. With that said I wouldn't bet against them.

The NBA was so much more fun and exciting when I was growing up. Sure, the players today are better athletes or whatever but I used to love watching Bird/Parish/McHale and company battle Magic/Kareem and the rest of the Showtime Lakers. Then there were the Detroit Bad Boys, Jordan's Bulls, Sir Charles and the 76ers (when I first started watching basketball I was treated to actually getting to see Dr. J. play although I was really too young to appreciate it). Perhaps I'm walking around in a retro haze but the basketball of today doesn't even compare to the past.

Larrys#1 · **Reply #14 on:** November 25, 2013, 12:10:50 PM

I don't expect the Knicks to make a comeback anytime soon. It probably will happen when Chandler returns, but until then.... I expect that things will keep getting worse before they get better.

Lefty · **Reply #15 on:** November 25, 2013, 03:27:45 PM

Quote from: shemps#1 on November 24, 2013, 03:04:37 PM

The NBA seems to buck the trends of other sports leagues in that there is the least amount of parity. MLB and NFL take pride in this illusion that almost every team has a chance but the NBA loves dynasties and I believe we are in the midst of one right now.

The NHL is also like MLB and the NFL, as they have not had a team win two straight Stanley Cups since Detroit in 1997 (unfortunately against the Flyers) and 1998 (against Washington, making its only appearance ever in the title round). The L.A. Kings won the 2012 Cup as the #8 seed in the West, and rarely does the top team in the regular season win the championship.

Also, the NBA has far-and-away the highest percentage of games won by the home team, even though it should be baseball because of the different ballparks, or football with the hot-cold-indoor weather. The NHL used to be that way when Montreal and Boston were allowed to cheat (along with Quebec, Winnipeg, and Calgary) by having the home bench next to the penalty boxes on one side, with the visiting team's bench on the opposite side.

Stooges#1 · **Reply #16 on:** November 26, 2013, 05:44:55 PM

Quote from: JazzBill on November 24, 2013, 11:36:57 AM

Bulls are done. I don't believe they had enough to go all the way, even with a healthy D Rose.

It was never going to happen this season but you never want your star player injured. He's out for the season. Although it ended up not being a ACL injury you got to feel for the man. He missed one full season and now pretty much another one. This is a player who in his last full NBA season was the youngest ever player to win the MVP Award and was the closest in the league to LeBron James' talents.

It could actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise in that the FO will now make trades to have the personnel around Derrick Rose to compete, from the 2014/15 season. Deng, Boozer and Noah were a nice core to have 2-3 years ago. Now I would say Deng and Boozer have declined and I wouldn't expect them to help any team win a championship. Maybe being the 4th best players on a title team but having those two players in the starting 5 of a title team I don't think so. One has to be traded and the other amnestied.

I would agree that Miami are the best team and are favourites this season. But just like this years NBA Finals it's not as cut and dried as that. Last season Ray Allen saved them in Game 6 and then they won a close Game 7. This season they've added Michael Beasley, so they've improved again. Greg Oden is also playing for Miami, but you just have to look at him and he'll get injured.

Larrys#1 · **Reply #17 on:** December 02, 2013, 09:09:40 AM

I'm ready to throw the towel in on the Knicks. How the hell do they lose 9 games in a row? No effort whatsoever from this team.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #18 on:** December 18, 2013, 06:12:18 PM

Looks like Miami is going to take a gamble & have Lebron play tonight vs. the Pacers. I don't know if it's the right call, I would much rather have a healthy Lebron in May & June when it really counts, but I guess I'll have my answer in a few minutes... $:-\$

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #19 on:** January 26, 2014, 01:38:32 PM

I think today is showing that if the Heat are motivated, there is no one in the league who can stop them, not even the big, bad Pacers, although they are currently the #1 seed. So I might have some trepidation about the Heat going on the road in the playoffs, but it's only a small trepidation...

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #20 on:** March 27, 2014, 09:06:27 AM

Well, it looks like I may have to give up on the Heat getting the #1 seed in the East, meaning if there is a Pacers/Heat Eastern Conference final, Miami will be on the road, which worries me a bit. This rut the Heat have been in should worry me too, but I'm still holding out hope, that when the playoffs start, the Heat will flip the proverbial switch and get on the right track.

Lefty · **Reply #21 on:** March 27, 2014, 02:53:15 PM

Quote from: Shemp_Diesel on March 27, 2014, 09:06:27 AM

Well, it looks like I may have to give up on the Heat getting the #1 seed in the East, meaning if there is a Pacers/Heat Eastern Conference final, Miami will be on the road, which worries me a bit. This rut the Heat have been in should worry me too, but I'm still holding out hope, that when the playoffs start, the Heat will flip the proverbial switch and get on the right track.

If the Heat are within one game of the top spot plus or minus come April 16th, they will beat the 76ers by 50 points instead of by 20.

The 76ers' 25-game losing streak will not exist after tonight, and remember, you read it here last.

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #22 on:** March 30, 2014, 06:57:57 AM

I see the Sixers avoided making history last night; not sure if that's a cause for celebration or not...

Lefty · **Reply #23 on:** March 30, 2014, 10:15:55 AM

Quote from: Shemp_Diesel on March 30, 2014, 06:57:57 AM

I see the Sixers avoided making history last night; not sure if that's a cause for celebration or not...

Soitenly it is! The 76ers already have the most dubious record in NBA history, the 9-73 team of 1972-73. While they tied the longest losing streak in pro sports, at least they did not catch the 1993-94 Mavericks for consecutive home losses (19) or the longest winless streak, the 30-gamer by the 1980-81 Lose-a-peg Jets. The 1961 Phillies, who lost 23 in a row, had the local record until now.

(And I was right about the 25-game losing streak ending Thursday, it became 26 instead.)

Shemp_Diesel · **Reply #24 on:** April 18, 2014, 11:04:21 AM

Playoffs start tomorrow; the Western Conference should be a treat to watch; the Spurs, the Clippers and the Thunder look to be the favorites going in, but it could be anybody's ballgame.

I would look forward to a Heat/Thunder NBA Finals rematch, but you can never count out the Spurs; they have a knack for not going away, much like the St. Louis Cardinals and cockroaches....