Tagged: LeBron James Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • jk41 8:20 am on January 18, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: All-Star, Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, , , Kevin Durant, , , LeBron James, ,   

    Best of the Rest 

    hi-res-140248193_crop_exact

     

    The All-Star Starters votes were released today and here’s how the popularity contest (yeah, I’m hating) shaped up:

    EAST:
    F: LeBron James
    F: Carmelo Anthony
    F: Kevin Garnett
    G: Dwyane Wade
    G: Rajon Rondo

    WEST:
    F: Dwight Howard
    F: Blake Griffin
    F: Kevin Durant
    G: Kobe Bryant
    G: Chris Paul

    The All-Star reserves are set to be selected by the coaches and announced next week, so this will need to be quick:

    • Who of the starters based on their actual season ans stats should NOT be voted in as an All-Star?
    • Who are your next 7 All-Star reserves on each team?

    Take it away….and quickly!

     

    • jk41 9:20 am on January 18, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      Ok, first up the guys who I don’t think would have been voted as starters if it was a coaches decision:

      • KG
      • DWade
      • Blake

      with Rondo and Dwight juussst making it ok for me to have them in. This is not to say these guys don’t deserve to make the team, it’s just that if it weren’t for their popularity I’m not sure they get the START.

      My reserves…

        EAST:

      F: Joakim Noah (total homer pick, but one of the best passing centers out there averaging 4.1 assists at center!)
      F: Tyson Chandler (haven’t always been the biggest fan but he’s made an impact on the Knicks)
      F: Paul Pierce (The Truth, still putting it up as we discussed in our last post)
      F: Brook Lopez (when he plays, the Nets win. Averaging 18ppg, 7rpg, 2bpg. I don’t love it but didn’t really like anyone else in the East. I would’ve put Tony Parker in if there were no conferences.
      G: Jrue Holiday (been playing great for a terrible team, lots of triple double near misses)
      G: Kyrie Irving (I love this kid. Period.)
      G: Paul George (carrying Indy and they’re on a nice stretch lately after a terrible start)

      WEST:
      F: Tim Duncan (should’ve gotten the start based on the season he’s having)
      F: LaMarcus Aldridge (another guy I like, and putting in serious numbers for the one of the best starting 5’s in the league)
      F: Zach Randolph (Z-Bo has been a beast in Memphis. They’ve been cooling off lately but he deserves a nod)
      F: David Lee (my fantasy boy! only big man to average a 20-10 this season or something. He’s sitting at 19.7 and 10.9 as of writing, but damn close enough!)
      G: Russell Westbrook (easy pick for me here, he ain’t the smartest cookie out there but it comes and goes. #GoodRussBadRuss)
      G: James Harden (he makes the Rockets relevant)
      G: Steph Curry (was thinking of Tony Parker as well, but Curry beat him in almost every hard and % stat and the Warriors record has been pretty good this year)

      That’s it! And the West feels so loaded to me after that exercise…

    • naturalbornanalysts 2:52 am on January 21, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      Agreed that I don’t see those three guys making it if the starting positions weren’t a popularity contest. Having said that, I’m glad that KG made it because that’s my homer pick!

      I’m also throwing Dwight out there. I think the Lakers having two starters with a 17-23 record doesn’t sound right.

      As for the rest:

      East:

      Josh Smith – I think he is deserving, considering how well the Hawks have played this year after completely revamping.
      Kyrie Irving – Just watch his outburst against the Knicks earlier in the season.
      Joakim Noah – Agreed he deserves to be in… he is really playing well this year.
      Paul George– After a rought start, Mr. Everything is doing everything… he could be a lock for the next 5 years.
      Jrue Holiday – MIP in my opinion. Playing out of his skin.
      Brook Lopez – He has really started to get back to some of his old form
      Anderson Varejao – I dont care if he is injured, he deserves to be an all star this year.

      West:

      Russell Westbrook – Lock. Enough said.
      Tony Parker– This guy has been unbelievable this season, and I think he is deserving of a spot with the Spurs playing so well.
      Tim Duncan – Playing some of the best basketball of anyone in the league and doing it in his usual understated way.
      David Lee – As you said he has been a double double beast this season.
      Zach Randolph – Every All-Star team needs a dark alley guy and this is it!
      James Harden – Shown that he can carry a team and almost lead the league in scoring.
      Stephen Curry – I’m ignoring the fact that we have a ton of PG’s here… I’m running Adelman two PG fronts all game.

    • naturalbornanalysts 5:48 am on January 22, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      Who are the snubs?

      My number 1 guy is Nicholas (nut-punch) Batum. This guy is having a freakish season after signing his new contract. Proving he is probably worth every cent.

      Another one could be David West, who is having a very solid season for the Pacers, picking up all the slack Hibbert is dropping.

      • jk41 8:39 am on January 23, 2013 Permalink | Reply

        Batum has come on lately, but probably only the last month or so have I seen it in him. I think even Lillard could be more of a snub given what he’s been able to do for that team.

        I snubbed Josh Smith for the opposite reason, being that he had a fast start but now that the Hawks are struggling is finding himself getting suspended and all that kind of stuff.

        Boozer? Haha just kidding..

      • jk41 2:47 am on January 25, 2013 Permalink | Reply

        Alright we got the announcements:

        East Reserves:
        Jrue Holiday
        Paul George
        Chris Bosh
        Tyson Chandler
        Kyrie Irving
        Luol Deng
        Joakim Noah

        West Reserves:
        Tony Parker
        Russell Westbrook
        James Harden
        LaMarcus Aldridge
        Zach Randolph
        David Lee
        Tim Duncan

        I’m surprised by Deng actually, but also happy he’s getting the respect from the coaches. I’m pretty happy with the East picks. Although, Bosh over Brook….ehhh I don’t really like either of them to be honest so I’m whatever really. Hahaha

        The West was pretty much my picks except Parker for Curry which I should’ve got right in the first place.

        All in all I’m pretty happy with them, what’s your take?

    • naturalbornanalysts 2:51 am on January 25, 2013 Permalink | Reply

      EAST– So neither of us put Luol in – shame on you (will be play or still be injured?)
      Josh Smith got snubbed again, which is becoming a yearly ritual.
      The other massive snub is Brook Lopez… like you said, I don’t rate either of them so it doesn’t bother me

      WEST– Steph Curry got booted…. insert Parker/LA, which we knew was going to be a toss up between the three with all deserving.
      Other than that it was steady as she goes.

      Who wins?
      Whats the score?

      • jk41 3:03 am on January 25, 2013 Permalink | Reply

        Massive shame on me, I guess I thought the legacy factor would come in with Pierce. He’ll play, he tweaked his hamstring about 5 days ago, and All-Star game is still a few weeks away. Otherwise Jimmy Butler is available!

        I guess easiest way is to count the misses (i.e. guys we put in our team that aren’t in the actual team) between us.

        East:
        You missed on Josh Smith, Brook and Varejao = -3
        I missed on Pierce and Brook = -2

        West:
        You missed on Curry = -1
        I also missed on Curry = -1

        Funnily enough, we had LaMarcus and Tony Parker in our respective teams to even that out.

        So I took it out -3 to -4….or something, I dunno I just confused myself. Haha!

  • jk41 3:13 am on November 29, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Chris Bosh, , LeBron James, Miami Heat, , Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen   

    See no evil, Hear no evil… 

     

    Anyone there in South Beach??

    One of the surprising turns for me this season is just how little attention the Miami Heat are getting. Or maybe I just block them out in my head.

    But with all the big headlines: the Harden Trade, Lakers coaching kerfuffle, Clippers & Memphis laying down their intentions as contenders, Knicks not sucking, Wizards sucking terribly, Bobcats surprisingly not. Where is the chatter on the Miami Heat?

    I know it’s early but here are some stats and why I find it amazing that people aren’t talking more about their back-to-back hopes:

    • 10-3 overall, 6-0 at home and are currently on a 4 game winning streak. 1st is points per game, 1st in 3PT%, 1st in FG%, 4th in assists and 5th in points differential.
    • Lebron is averaging about 25-8-6-1-1, 53% FG (!), 44% 3PT. The only fault in his season is his FT% at 67%.
    • Ray Allen is at 12 points a game making 53% on 3’s. Rashard Lewis is averaging just over 7 points, 54% on 3’s.
    • Oh and they also have two guys called Wade and Bosh who are putting up their usual All-Star numbers with Wade slowing down a slightly as expected.

    So are the Heat really that impressive and equally impressive at flying under the radar at the moment? Or is it a case that the Knicks/Clippers/Memphis genuinely have a chance at unseating the defending champs? What are the other stories currently flying under the radar?

     

    • naturalbornanalysts 12:11 pm on November 29, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      The Heat really are that impressive, and surprising nobody, which equates to no headlines. If they were losing then there would be all kinds of talk. But everyone is playing at a reasonably high level, and they are just going about their business like everyone expected them to.

      I dont see ANY TEAM IN THE NBA challenging the Heat in a best of 7… I just dont.

      I still don’t think Memphis are getting their dues. Playing some great basketball, and have legitimate All-Star possibilities in 4 of 5 positions (yes I think Mike Conley is that good).

      Eastern Sleepers…
      Somebody talk about Philadelphia and dont mention Andrew Bynum. This strange assemblege is being lead by an incredibly underrated Jrue Holiday, who IS DEFINITELY playing at an all star level. They are sitting at 9-6, without arguably the best big man in the league….
      And what about Atlanta? Haven’t heard any headlines about this team. but their record (9-4) is one of the best in the East, and they are doing it after getting rid of their best scorer. Have to love the way these guys are playing…. especially our boy Teague… loves to dunk. (I don’t care if this was a charge)

      The only under the radar story in the West (other than the Spurs being 13-3 again) is that there is absolutely nothing in the west….2.5 games between 4th and 12th at the moment. And then Portland another half game behind.

    • jk41 8:54 am on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Miami unbeatable in 7 this season? What about OKC?

      1 year of growth from KD, Westbrook, Serge. Not sure what you get out of Kevin Martin but couldn’t be worse than Harden last year right? I still like OKC out of the West and even though the Lakers are sucking now, it seems like they would have the star power to combat the Heat but their depth and chemistry are a problem.

      Hawks have a nice little team when Josh Smith and Al Horford are on their game like they had against the Bobcats (still counts) with basically identical lines: 17-13-6-3-5 and 17-11-6-1-3 respectively. Strong games. Plus they surround those two with Korver, Lou Williams, Jeff Teague–they’re a nifty little team. But again, worry about their depth and Josh Smith being able to put it up every night.

      Spurs will be a sleeper as long as the Pop/Duncan era exists. It’s just their nature. Never happy:

      Take that David Aldridge. LOL.

    • naturalbornanalysts 1:06 am on December 3, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      But we aren’t talking about the same Miami team either remember. They have improved a lot on last year’s team. Norris Cole has the extra year. Battier is playing better. Mike Miller is Mike Miller. But Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis have come in and contributed. Watching the end of games now, when LBJ attacks and gets doubled or tripled, who does he kick it out to for the game winner? Only the best 3pt shooter in the history of the game (and he’s healthy). Its formidable.

      OKC are nice, but if you are worried about the Lakers depth, worry about OKC’s as well. While Collison is awesome off the bench, I’m not sure about Eric Maynor coming off surgery, and Jeremy Lamb and PJ3 arent getting minutes. Im not convinced OKC can beat the Heat unfortunately.

      Where do you think your bulls will be sitting by the time Rose gets back?

      • jk41 3:31 am on December 4, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        That’s true. I guess that gets back to my point that they’ve been sneakily dominating. Contradiction much?

        I think Kevin Martin could surprise. All he’s being asked to do is come off the bench and jack ’em up for some scoring. I like him as that energy scorer off the bench a bit better than Harden, even though Harden is the light years away better player.

        Right where I think they’ll be all season, which is .500. I’m tipping he comes back maybe a couple of weeks after the All-Star break in March. But til then…..go Kirk?

        Sigh….kill me….

        JK

  • jk41 2:18 am on November 20, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: David Lee, Dirk Nowitzki, Evan Turner, fantasy basketball, LeBron James, , Pau Gasol, Roy Hibbert   

    NERD ALERT: Courtside Notes Fantasy Showdown! 

    Get out your laptops, your thick rim glasses, fire up your basketball-reference.com because this week we’re showcasing the fantasy showdown between Courtside Notes vs. Natural Born Analysts!

    So this is an actual fantasy league we do with our friends, and we just happen to be playing each other this week. We thought we’d let you look in on the battle and we’ll drop in comments throughout the week.

    For some background, we’re both doing very, very average this year. We currently sit 6th (Courtside Notes) and 7th (Natural Born Analysts) in a 10 deep league. Ouch! It’s a head-to-head Yahoo league measuring on the standard categories.

    Also to help you out, here are our teams as they stand as of the Monday 19th November games:

    Courtside Notes (Kuoka’s Team):

    • Kyrie Irving
    • Kobe Bryant
    • Evan Turner
    • Danilo Gallinari
    • David Lee
    • Joakim Noah
    • DeMarcus Cousins
    • DeAndre Jordan
    • Brandon Knight
    • Jeremy Lin
    • Nikoli Vucevic
    • AJ Price
    • Ray Allen
    • Samuel Dalembert

    Natural Born Analysts (Rubioballs):

    • Steve Nash
    • Paul George
    • Chris Paul
    • Gordon Hayward
    • Thaddeus Young
    • Al-Farouq Aminu
    • Pau Gasol
    • Roy Hibbert
    • Shawn Marion
    • Danny Green
    • Andrea Bargnani
    • Tristan Thompson
    • Marcus Thornton
    • Wes Matthews

    I’ve just realised I’ve forgotten to rotate my team for today. Great start…anyhow, take it away!

     

    • naturalbornanalysts 4:56 am on November 20, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Day 1 is over, and despite you not starting your team the scoreboard looks like this:

      Rubioballs had a nice turnout from Hibbert finally.. .after a shocking start with 20/12/4blk on .800 shooting
      Also CP3 wasnt bad with a 19/8 game, but thats kind of the expected standard… I wish this guy wouldnt coast so much during the regular season. I think he is overrated as the 3rd best fantasy guy. I know what GM’s feel like when they get trapped in the draft now…

      Kuoka’s Team ( I appreciate the grammatical correctness) had a beast of day from David Lee who is showing signs of his old self after a slow start. Put up 17/19 today in the OT win over DAL. Dano actually caught some form in the surprise Nuggs win over MEM… with a 25/5/3 and not shooting horribly.
      Your accidental bench didnt cost you too badly with Dalembert and Price not doing much at all.

      I have been trying to make some deals, but we have a bunch of dead fish in our league.. there is nobody in my list who isnt on the block.

      Also… Thanks to Houston for really sucking in the 4th and getting my multi over the line! Appreciate it James.

    • jk41 9:53 am on November 20, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Hibbert finally doing something! I thought he got paid, guest starred on Parks & Recreation and that was the end of it!

      CP3 is a tough one. I had him last year and he was good, but I think Love or Westbrook we go ahead of him these days.

      Yeah those guys on the bench didn’t really matter in the end. Although that might say more about having them in the first place!

      And hang on a minute, Kyrie is out for 4 weeks with a fractured left index finger!! Come on!

    • naturalbornanalysts 11:55 pm on November 20, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Glad to see you set your lineup today… although I have 4 players (no nash) vs 2 players but you have Kobe so that is like 2 players. I hate Kobe as much as you hate Lebron, but I have to admit he is absolutely killing it this year. I need a big game from Pau against that soft Brooklyn front line.

      Yeah that hurts with Kyrie out. I saw you added Boobie… hoping for a few streaky games?

      • jk41 8:34 am on November 21, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        The Black Mamba is ballin’ so far this year! His averages so far this year: 26.3/5.5/5.4/1.5 on 52.8% FG, 39.1% 3PT and 88.2% FT! He had about that today.

        Evan Turner is a funny one. He had 12-5-4 on 35%FG. I really thought he would break out a bit more this year, especially with Bynum out to start the year. Last playoffs vs. the Bulls he had some great games, I was expecting more of 18-8-5 with a couple of threes and a steal in there, is that asking too much??

        Yeah, I’m hoping for some streakiness from the Boob. Hopefully, he comes through, cos I need it!

        Pau had a great day today: 17-11-7 and a block. Good on the Spaniard!

      • naturalbornanalysts 11:23 pm on November 21, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Today sees full line ups… So a lot will be told today. Especially with Thanksgiving happening tomorrow in the USA and the sports landscape being dominated by football.

        Big Pau did have a very nice day, his assists will stay high this year lobbing the ball to Dwight all the time.

        And I agree… I drafted Turner in one of my other leagues hoping for a nice year from him. He rebounds well for a SG.. and I thought with their shuffling he would be one of the main options on the offensive end. But I think he is a bit of a victim of the very strange 76ers… one day they scorre 70 and the next they score 110… very strange.

        • jk41 3:26 am on November 22, 2012 Permalink

          Oh man…halfway through today and I think we can safely say this about my team this week:

        • naturalbornanalysts 10:38 pm on November 22, 2012 Permalink

          I love that… but hate that its against my boys haha.

          Yeah you are going to need some big days… although Paul George and Hibbert might revert back to what they were.

        • jk41 8:13 am on November 24, 2012 Permalink

          Scoreline

          Alright the score is starting to look a bit more respectable now. I’m remotely close in rebounds, assists, steals. Damn, Hibbert and his blowout 10 blocks!

          Let’s see how tomorrow pans out!

        • naturalbornanalysts 12:25 pm on November 25, 2012 Permalink

          One day to go and there is still a battle for FG%, Points, Rebounds, Assists. So while the score says 7-2 it is definitely closer than that.

          May the nerdiest blogger win!

        • jk41 1:25 pm on November 27, 2012 Permalink

          What a comeback! I called it over on the Thursday, but looks like my boys still had some fight in them.

          Shout out to Robin Lopez a.k.a Sideshow Bob for hitting a 17 foot jumper which sealed the deal for me on points. Although the fact that Robin Lopez is winning me a fantasy week probably says a lot about my team as a whole…

          Great battle though, we’ll have a post for the revenge leg later in the season.

          null

          JK

  • jk41 7:08 am on October 1, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: LeBron James, , Point Guards, Shooting Guards   

    Best Little Men 

     

    Our League Passes have been purchased so the season is not too far away! Which is good news because when the leading stories out there are teams making key signings of 12th men, you know you’re running low on things to talk about.

    So let’s adjust our macro focus of the last few posts and go micro: going into this upcoming season, which team has the best PG/SG combination in the NBA?

    PG ideally PG by listed position/size (so no Lebrons). SG can be a tweener (SG/SF) as long as you can justify a replacement SF that makes sense in the lineup.

    So let’s hear the best, and while we’re at it the worst too!

     

     

    • naturalbornanalysts 1:39 pm on October 3, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Purchased and the countdown is on!

      This is tough… really tough…
      Im going to start in the West and throw out some combos…

      LAL- Nash/Bryant…on paper this is one of the most intimidating backcourts ever. Obviously age is going to come into play, but you have to think that these two could finally get Nash that ring.

      OKC- Westbrook/(Sefolosha) Harden …obviously for this we will ignore the fact that Harden doesnt start, considering he plays most of the game anyway. Young and explosive… but Im not as high on Westbrook as most, because I dont feel his decision making is where you want it for a point guard, and his outside shooting isnt great. His explosiveness and athleticism is his biggest strength, but is also the most vulnerable aspect of his game. Harden, I was massive on all of last season, and still think he can be a top 5 player in the league in the future, but last years finals certainly threw up some questions.

      LAC – CP3/Billups … wow do I love Mr. Billups… so much in fact that I would be willing to name my first born son Chauncey… hell my first born daughter too. Underrated player and leader… I hope he can come back from the achilles injury. Obviously CP3 is a great, great PG, but he frustrates me when he just fades to the background in games. He could take over just about any game he wants.

      GSW- Curry/Thompson…This is a big if… but IF Steph Curry stayes healthy, and Klay Thompson continues to improve the way he did last year, this could be an incredibly dynamic backcourt duo… The Warriors are taking big risks with guys who are injury prone, but have drafted well the last two years, and could definitely make an 8vs1 playoff push again that got the Doctor so excited all those years ago!

      MIN- Rubio/Roy… Ahhh my beloved wolves… so many questions, so many white Euros. All season ticket holders should have honorary Eurozone Passports. But I digress… Much like your bulls, a lot of the teams success will ride on the return of the injured PG, and you only had to look at the slide, post Rubio to see how much of an impact he had on the Wolves. If he can come back and play at the level he was, and IF (more IF’s in there than the Warriors) Roy can get back to even 70% of what he was, we might have one of the canniest and most cerebrial back courts in the league.

      Ok now to the East.

      MIA- I want to say Wade and Ray, but I doubt that will be the starting Combo. So insert Chalmers and you lose a bit in my eyes, and they certainly dont become the best backcourt duo.

      Boston- Rondo/Bradley… I love Rondo, and think he could become the best all around PG in the game, but I cant see this combo being that influential, especially with Bradley coming back from a dodgy shoulder.

      CHI- Rose/ Hamilton… I think Rip has past his used by date as a starter, and you could see more and more of Rose Hinrich when Rose is back and healthy. You are more of an expert on all things Bulls so I will leave this one to you.

      BROOKLYN- Williams/Johnson… well if money means success then HOV should remove some of his jewellery in anticipation. In my eyes, if these two can find a balance and chemistry, they WILL BE THE BEST IN THE LEAGUE! There is no question in my mind. Williams gets a fresh start without having to move cities, and JJ doesnt have to be the man… he can go back to his PHO days of just playing off the ball and shooting. My big question… what happens to Marshon Brooks, who was a hell of a rookie.

      NYK- Kidd/Felton… You know what you are getting with Kidd, and Felton played some of the best ball of his career in Orange and Blue.. but who is the SG? Or do they move Felton to the bench and the Shump plays SG… they have a lot of figuring out to do… also …POP QUIZ.. without looking it up… how big is Steve Novak?

      I know I left out the Spurs/Pacers/Wizards (Who could have a great backcourt this season), Philly etc…

      but my top five would be:

      1. LAL
      2. BKN
      3. OKC
      4. LAC
      5. MIA

      GO!

    • jk41 3:26 pm on October 3, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Definitely tough! Even as I was writing that intro and thought about it, I only had the Nets (D-Will/JJ) and Lakers (Nash/Kobe) which stuck in my mind.

      Here are my thoughts on the ones you mentioned:

      WEST

      LAL – I definitely think they’re the best. They need to stay healthy and essentially pace themselves for playoffs so I wouldn’t be surprised if they started slow. But the amount of hardware between these guys is amazing, and I like the fact that they’re a true point and shooting guard.

      OKC – I actually think Westbrook is more a SG. He’s a big time slasher that gets to the rim, but has questionable judgement. I think there’s definite questions on Harden after the Finals last year, which is a shame because he was so great all season. These two are definite great players even if they don’t meet the conventional PG/SG, Starter/Bench mix that we were looking for.

      LAC – Love both these guys, but I’m not so sure Chauncey can bounce back after such a serious injury at his age. You’d love to see CP3 play with a devastating scorer so you could just sit back and admire the vision and smarts. A scorer like Kobe? Oh wait…

      GSW – I think too soon for these guys and I haven’t liked how fragile Curry has been.

      MIN – So much faith in Mr. Roy! Let’s face it, if he were on the Bulls I’d be thinking the same. But it might be two too many injured knees to be called the best this season, maybe next though.

      EAST

      MIA – I was actually impressed with Chalmers in the Finals. He had some big games. From memory I don’t think he’s a big assist guy, so he seems a bit more combo guard. You’d love him to develop more smarts and vision and ‘see’ the court better.

      BOS – Again, injury comes into play here. Bradley was great before he got hurt, but now we must wait. I’m not sure they would have enough scoring in them either, if we were to for example pit all these duos against each other in 2-on-2 games. (Actually, I’ll scribble this down to use in a post somewhere this season!)

      CHI – Did someone say injured? Not just the guy who tore his ACL, but the other guy who after four games into the season missed 4 games…then 8, then 13, and then 14 and it was only a 66 game season! So no given the fact that if Rip does get injured early this season our backcourt is Hinrich and Nat Robinson? (Officially scared of the train wreck that will be).

      BKN – I’m handing these guys my mantle of best backcourt in the league. D-Will: motivated, excited is scary and just as good if not better than CP3. JJ has the pressure off and can rain those 3’s with free reign. And on the defensive end, they both hold their own. Brooklyn in da house!

      NYK – An old guy and a guy who always looks chubby? Nah, not for me. As for Novak I’m gonna say 6’8 cos I remember watching him play some 3 last year….(googling)…..shit 6’10! He’s almost Ryan Anderson like!

      So here’s my rankings, not too dissimilar:

      1. BKN
      2. LAL
      3. OKC
      4. SAS (see below)
      5. LAC

      OTHERS

      So I’m going to throw a couple others at you…let me know if they interest you in any way….

      PHI – Jrue and Evan Turner. As much as I didn’t like them, they gave us fits in the first round last year. Jrue definitely sees the court well I think, and Turner is your slashing, almost Manu like slasher being creative in there.

      MIL – Bit of Jennings/Monta? Definitely quick and exciting, but probably too small on the defensive end.

      DAL – Collison and OJ Mayo. I think they can show something this year. Both had their years in the league, fresh start, neither expected to carry the load, but have shown they can carry when needed (Collison in NOH with CP3 out, Mayo at the Grizz with Rudy Gay out)

      SAS – No love for Parker and Manu? Could argue they are All-Stars at both positions while MIA are only at one, and TP had a great year last year.

      CLE – Kyrie and Dion Waiters I guess. Never seen any of Waiters, but I do like Kyrie. Hopefully that hand is all good for the season’s start.

      NOH – And even younger, Mr. Austin Rivers and Eric Gordon. Tempting! Maybe next year…or the year after…

      • naturalbornanalysts 12:26 pm on October 4, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        We did have a similar list… and I think a lot of people are expecting big things out of Brooklyn… they have three max guys after all dont they?

        Your others:

        PHI- I think Evan Turner is finally starting to get the hang of this NBA thing right? He started to look pretty good last season, and I think a solid off season under his belt he could be set for big things… Im sure Philly certainly think he can replace the production they got out of Iggy.

        MIL- Shouldnt have left these two off…nobody else touches the ball in Wisconsin, but these two could rack up the points playing small ball.. who needs to play D when you can have 40 each?

        DAL- I dont think Collison is starter quality… he is perfect for that energy off the bench type…and Mayo is still an enigma… Im not sold on Cubans plan…

        SAS- I know I left them off and I know I shouldnt have…. poor form… Parker and Manu are like an older more wiley version of Westbrook and Harden…. I have almost as much love for Manu as I do for Chauncey. Do they make another move with the cap space they have from TD taking a 50% cut or whatever it was!?

        CLE- Kyrie and who? haha nah Dion Im playing son… Kyrie will be top 3 PG in 2 seasons…I guess we have to wait and see what Dion does.

        NOH- Not a fan of either of these guys to be honest… I dont like Gordon much at all… and Rivers… seems arrogant… Hopefully they prove me wrong, because the way the Saints are playing this season they need a little pick me up in that city…

        Can I throw one more out that Im sort of excited to see????

        WAS- Wall and Beal… This could be a really nice backcourt… great defense from both and some fantastic passing. Wall wont need to shoulder scoring… which he is not good at… he is a poor mans Rondo.. let him create plays with his vision… not ask him to score 20 a night and he will be a great PG…. or maybe im just a Kentucky flamer?!

      • jk41 5:47 am on October 5, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Yeah, Wall seems like one of those guys who will have a break out this year. His injury is a setback though which is unfortunate. How can you deny someone like this though:

        With the rookies it’s going to be tough to pick this year because it was a pretty deep draft and a few gambles here and there. So I think we might need to put Wall and Beal into the future bucket.

        Either way, our top 5 lists are pretty juicy already, we’ll need to circle these on the calendar when they go head to head!

        JK

c
Compose new post
j
Next post/Next comment
k
Previous post/Previous comment
r
Reply
e
Edit
o
Show/Hide comments
t
Go to top
l
Go to login
h
Show/Hide help
shift + esc
Cancel