Friday Fire: Right Now, Who Wins the 2009-2010 NBA Champioship?
All kinds of stellar moves are going down and the biggest IMO is Artest going to LA. There is
also the possibility Sheed goes to Boston in another move that decides the NBA Championship. Shaq in Cleveland, Vince in Orlando? Jefferson in San Antonio? Damn…David Stern has to be loving the current state of the league. I don’t know about Allen Iverson in Memphis but yet and still, I think the NBA is beginning to creep into taking over baseball for that second slot. Anyone who hates on the league is just throwed [sic] off. Yeah, it’s early, but who does this? Who would you like to see dance in the confetti reign?
There will be other shoes to drop. Where does Andre Miller land? How many sign and trades will go down after July 8th? So many possibilities as teams jockey for 2011. (Still don’t think LeBron is going anwhere) These are gonna be a very interesting next two seasons huh? Right now, I’m going with Boston over the Lakers in 7…especially if Sheed signs with the C’s. Of course, the Celtics have to be healthy, but I just don’t see a more cohesive unit. Who ya got?
The Boston Celtics are favorite in the Eastern Conference because that remained unchanged since the end of the playoffs when the Magic couldn’t put away the Lakers in games 2&4 and the Celts got better by getting Rasheed Wallace and the Cavs still haven’t haven’t solved their pick-n-roll problems and Shaq does not solve their defensive weakness. And losing Hedo Turkalyu has taken away the strength that made them a nightmare to defend and I don’t think Vince Carter will fit in because he has a scorer’s mentality.
In the West the Lakers got better by get Artest but he’s a nightmare waiting to happen and the Spurs even though they got more offensive scoring via Richard Jefferson they gave up their defensive stoppers and it may make for a great regular season but I say they are the third best team in the conference. The Denver Nuggets in my eyes are the best team in the conference by staying pat even though the Lakers are the champion.
Top 5 teams each conference
East
1. Boston
2. Orlando
3. Cleveland
4. Detriot
5. Atlanta
West
1. Denver
2. L.A. Lakers
3. Houston
4. San Antonio
5. Portand
Denver beats Boston in 6 games in 2009-2010 finals to win their first championship
Too early for me to call it.
I think if I a motivated Rasheed Wallace goes to SA or Boston, he’s wearing jewelry in June. I think if Hedo goes back to Orlando, they’re going to be tough. Shaq’s not as great as he once was, but Mo Williams and Delonte West just took the LAST contested jumpers of their lives vs. Orlando. Every shot they take from now on will be as easy as pie. I like Miami more than I like Detroit or Atlanta — and I like Chicago with Luol Deng to jump up.
In the west, I can’t see Houston surviving for long without T-Mac, Yao and Ron Ron. They still have a nice team, but I suspect that New Orleans will return to form and Portland will improve. Chauncey has run out of gas in the playoffs EVERY year except 2004. Denver is not going to win anything until they get another frontline scorer — and they could still win 60.
Faves are LA, San Antonio (with Rasheed), Portland and New Orleans.
Healthy Boston and healthy LA have the most shot makers and the best defensive length. It’s feeling like 1980 up in here, up in here.
Y’all gon make Sheed go all out up in here, up in here.
Ya’ll gon make Sheed act a fool up in here, up in here.
No doubt.
I’ve got nothing but love for ‘Sheed and I have felt Tariq’s same frustrations — but I just figured he knows why. And you remember, “both teams played hard.” That’s all I needed to remember. If he feels he has a legit shot to win —- look out.
In the West, I like the moves San Antonio have made, but I just don’t see how they can hang with LA. no way no how.
In the East:
Orlando… I don’t believe you/ you need more people.
Cleveland… Well, I like the Shaq trade because it’s always good when you get something for nothing. But my dad told me that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, and Shaq will not push Cleveland over the precipice. Listen, when you have LeBron, nobody can count you count, but the team as a whole needs a power forward who can spread the floor and a wing player who can defend.
Boston… I like The C’s. They scare me.
So: Finals rematch: Boston vs. LA. Lakers in 7.
I should have said:
[I] don’t believe you/ you need more people
Also, I think the acquisition of Vince Carter is a crap move for Orlando.
For the sake of argument:
Vince has been remarkably durable for the past four seasons and averaged about 21, 5 and 5. He can score on the block. He can defend. He can rebound. He blocks shots and he is willing to take big shots with the shot clock running down.
He is a bit under the radar and doesn’t have a playoff pedigree, but who knows? Maybe being coupled with Howard and a pass-first point guard will be the difference.
I may be wrong, but I think they stumbled onto an effective weapon with the Hedo-Howard pick and roll. Hedo is quite a mismatch. They just decided to up and discard him in favor of Vinsanity and his mammoth contract. Why? The reasons you stated may turn out to be enough, but I’m just a bit skeptical. I think Hedo is a better fit.
Is Hedo done with the Magic?
I think playoff teams need to have multiple low-post scoring options. The Orlando Magic, last season, had one — and not a very polished one at that. Howard is sure to improve, but VC has been scoring on the block since high school.
I don’t believe ORL has closed the door to bringing Hedo back. It won’t be easy and HT would have to pass up some bucks to go back to ORL, but the door is not yet closed — as I understand it.
Hedo, for all his positives, is not as dangerous a scoring option as VC. Moreover, if Jamir is healthy this season, the offense should run through him to Howard. You won’t have to worry about Hedo finishing at the rack after contact next year. Vince is going to posterize people and they know it — so they’ll be backing up as soon as he gets going. KA-BOOM!!
(With that said, I don’t love the deal unless they keep HT or get a comparable player with size. Rashard is not the real deal.)
If Rasheed goes to Boston, I like the Celtics…..
If Rasheed goes to San Antonio, I like the Spurs……
Hedo to Portland.
Cosign Temple and Grand.
If Sheed goes to the celts and they get grant hill for the LLE its theirs to lose.
But for right now the lakers (especially if they get Odom) are the team to beat.
Also Mizzo whats this noise I hear that Rudy Fernadez is acting up because Hedo went to the trailblazers.
Rudy straight up tripping.
One more thing Mizzo aren’t the lakers like 20 mill over the cap even without signing Odom???
My disdain for the Carter deal was based on the assumption that it meant that Hedo had to go.
Temple3:
You raise a good point about Vince being able to score on the block as opposed to Hedo. But I’m still not sold. I just think that Orlando’s identity is built on them being a freaky team with these 6-10 dudes who can shoot and cause match-up problems. You lose one of them and add a 32-year-old (on a bad contract) who is only 6-6 and you lose part of your identity. OK, like you said, you should be running your offense through Jameer and Dwight anyway, but I’d like to have a pair of 6-10 match-up problems at the forward problems at the forward spots. Now I just have an undersized power forward and a that guy who used to dunk.
I know I’m being reductive, but you get my point.
O they have no money. Ron did them a huge favor for basically NBA Finals promissory note
Denver is not going to win anything until they get another frontline scorer — and they could still win 60.
Temple, I don’t see that happening Brotha, Denver looked like they were plenty pissed in the Conference Finals and that resolve along with Carmelo already on the next level will be the difference in the West and Feburary they will get that scorer. And I am not worried about Mo Williams and Delonte West scoring points but the Cavs watching Lewis and Hedo taking threes like it what raining basketballsand playing terrible defense.
Mizzo,
Does Artest’s signing for less than what Ariza would have cost make getting a point guard any easier?
It’s hard to believe AI has to call teams to gauge interest. Has he fallen that far from grace?
I’m not sold on Artest for Ariza. I think LA go shorter, older and less athletic at the position. Artest is a better scorer inside but I don’t think this Laker team needs more scoring. Ron also brings a toughness and edge that the Kenyon Martins and Kevin Garnetts of the league will have to contend with. If one player could put a dent in the ‘soft’ label it’s Artest.
I still like San Antonio if healthy. If they resign Gooden and bring in say…. Gortat then this team is a force. No word on that by the way, just an idea.
Also what’s the deal with McDyess. Whoever doesn’t get Rasheed should go hard after him. I think he makes sense for SA, Clev, Denver, Boston and/or Orlando.
To answer the question though I like the Lakers to repeat.
Boston has injury questions, Denver is still a scorer away, Clev has to prove they can defend frontcourt scorers, San Antonio needs frontcourt help and injury questions and Orlando just lost Hedo.
Orlando’s acquisition of Vince Carter may not be viewed as favorably as Shaq going to the Cavs, but the Magic picked up a perennial All-Star player who fits into the Magic’s style of play. Courtney Lee has talent and will have a NBA career, but he was not an impact player for the Magic when they needed him the most. Yes, he had problems matching up with Kobe, but Lee’s offensive game was disappearing act and I think that’s what made him expendable.
Vince is 33, but he is a scorer and puts pressure on opposing defense in ways that Courtney Lee failed to do in his limited time with the Magic.
The Magic see their window is RIGHT NOW… So if Vince can stay away from injuries, he can be the missing link that can put the Magic over the top..
Hedo is a multi-dimensional player, but the 6’10/240 Ryan Anderson is a younger, less expensive version of Hedo and I believe he will make a bigger impact than many believe. To me, Anderson wasn’t just a random ‘throw-in’…Anderson will be an impact player for the Magic.
Lakers win 70 and beat the Celts in 5.
Book it.
KevDog:
If the Lakers win 70 games, I will give you $150. And I named a reasonable sum because I’d actually do it.
Tariq-If we re-sign LO, we’ll do it. I won’t take your money though, number 16 will be reward enough.
What up KevDog? Congrats on the Lakers winning it all bruh.
@Mizz
Just heard that Turkgolu is headed to the Raptors.
Guys lets not jump the gun on the lakers winning 70. Realize that Gasol is playing in the european championship.
Thats more miles on those old legs this summer.
Gasol played in the olympics last year, had a long playoff run the last 2 years. Played the world championships 2 years ago.
All I am saying is that eventually this extra mileage will catch up to Gasol.
The lakers aren’t winning 70 games.
L.A. and Boston in the Finals. And it’s gonna go seven.
Origin:
I would agree with that.
KevDog:
You’re buggin’. Too many diapers.
By the way — how’s the fam? All the best.