There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

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  • Cebby
    Banned
    • Apr 2005
    • 22327

    #16
    Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

    Originally posted by Stumbleweed
    Having the top record doesn't guarantee them coming out of the West... they can easily catch a bad matchup in the 1st or 2nd rounds and get knocked out. I do agree that they'll have the top seed, but I'm not sure that's enough to pencil them in to the Finals.
    I didn't say they're "guaranteed" to come out of the West.

    When a team is the two time defending Western Conference champions and is poised to finish with the best record in the conference for the third year in a row (and not by a slim margin either), and has the best player in the conference, they're the favorite.

    Comment

    • 23
      yellow
      • Sep 2002
      • 66469

      #17
      Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

      They're the favorites until someone takes them out

      Comment

      • GaryT531
        MVP
        • Jun 2008
        • 1715

        #18
        Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

        I personally can't see Denver or Dallas beating Kobe & co. in 4 out of 7 games. Jordan never let the Knicks beat him, and I don't think Kobe will let Denver or anyone else beat him this year.

        Denver couldn't do it last year with the same exact team they have now, and I can't see them doing it this year either.

        Dallas has improved. I think the team they have now might be better than the 06 team, and tougher than the 07 team.

        But the Finals is where anything can happen. We have seen a heavily favored Lakers team lose to the Pistons 6 years ago. Cleveland matches up with the Lakers for the most part on paper. I would love to see a Cleveland/L.A. Lakers matchup in the Finals.

        Comment

        • Bornindamecca
          Books Nelson Simnation
          • Jul 2007
          • 10919

          #19
          Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

          Yeah, back to back Finalists with the homecourt advantage are generally favored to make it back to the Finals. That having been said, it's not a lock by any means. Lakers can definitely be beat. They've looked very vulnerable at times this year. Only X factors are: it's not spring yet, they haven't had a consistently healthy starting lineup, Farmar and Brown are improving.

          Those three factors, along with a more aggressive Artest could make it a slightly different Lakers team in June. On the flipside, Dallas has new parts, Denver has had their health issues, and who knows what SA will look like when it matters.
          My Art
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          • Cebby
            Banned
            • Apr 2005
            • 22327

            #20
            Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

            Originally posted by Bornindamecca
            Yeah, back to back Finalists with the homecourt advantage are generally favored to make it back to the Finals. That having been said, it's not a lock by any means.
            I never said they were a lock, just that it's stupid to try and claim that they aren't the clear favorites to come out of the West.

            Maybe if you use some weird metrics about travel time vs officiating vs opponent's 3 pt field goals against in the last two minutes of the game they aren't the favorites, but by any normal means of analysis, the Lakers are the obvious favorites in the West.

            Comment

            • Bornindamecca
              Books Nelson Simnation
              • Jul 2007
              • 10919

              #21
              Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

              Originally posted by Cebby
              I never said they were a lock, just that it's stupid to try and claim that they aren't the clear favorites to come out of the West.

              Maybe if you use some weird metrics about travel time vs officiating vs opponent's 3 pt field goals against in the last two minutes of the game they aren't the favorites, but by any normal means of analysis, the Lakers are the obvious favorites in the West.
              I never said you said they were a lock. I'm agreeing with you.
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              • 23
                yellow
                • Sep 2002
                • 66469

                #22
                Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

                I think someone might have conscrued his words to mean that.

                Comment

                • Stumbleweed
                  Livin' the dream
                  • Oct 2006
                  • 6279

                  #23
                  Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

                  Originally posted by GaryT531
                  Denver couldn't do it last year with the same exact team they have now, and I can't see them doing it this year either.
                  Denver IS NOT the same team.

                  1. Afflalo provides an offensive talent at the 2 to start the game while actually providing better defense with less fouls than stupid slap-happy Dahntay Jones ever did. Afflalo can hit the three at a high rate, handle the ball, create off the dribble, and guard the opposing team's best perimeter player. Dahntay Jones could only do the defense bit, and he'd foul so *** **** much we'd end up in the penalty 4 minutes into the 1st and 3rd quarters. this was especially true against Kobe, who just abused Dahntay en route to the FT line again and again.

                  2. The Lakers struggle mightily with quick PGs (see: Brooks, Aaron) and the Nuggets upgraded their backup PG slot BIG TIME with Ty Lawson as opposed to Anthony Carter, who let's not forget played 14 MPG throughout the playoffs last year. There's no need for him to get any time unless someone gets hurt now, and Lawson is one of the best young PGs in the league. He's killed the Lakers with his speed in his limited time against them this season.

                  3. Kenyon Martin is playing out of his GD mind... dude is rebounding better than he ever has, scoring better and more efficiently than he ever has, and is one of the Top 5 defensive bigs in the game. He's not the same guy as last year or any time he's been in powder blue... he's playing the best ball of his career right now.

                  And let's not forget another year of chemistry, which is severely underrated these days with all the blockbuster superstar trades that have become en vogue since the Celtics moved for Ray/KG. The Nuggets have had their core together for 2 full seasons, which is more than more teams (sadly) and the new additions are basically perfect in terms of fitting into the scheme.

                  09-10 Nuggets >>>> 08-09 Nuggets
                  Last edited by Stumbleweed; 02-25-2010, 04:12 PM.
                  Send your Midnight Release weirdo pics/videos to my new website: http://www.peopleofmidnightreleases.com!

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                  • ex carrabba fan
                    I'll thank him for you
                    • Oct 2004
                    • 32744

                    #24
                    Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

                    I already said that in the other thread Stumble

                    Comment

                    • GSW
                      Simnation
                      • Feb 2003
                      • 8041

                      #25
                      Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

                      If the Warriors dont win it all this year this season is a joke
                      #Simnation

                      Comment

                      • Jasong7777
                        All Star
                        • May 2005
                        • 6415

                        #26
                        Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

                        Lol. I miss the Warriors team that had B Diddy. That was a fun team.
                        Redskins, Lakers, Orioles, UNC Basketball , and ND Football
                        PSN: Jasong757
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                        • ScoobySnax
                          #faceuary2014
                          • Mar 2009
                          • 7624

                          #27
                          Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

                          I like Denver, but they had the piece they needed to get over the hump, bit his *** didn't want to stay...Antonio McDyess. He was apart of the Billups trade, but he wanted to go back to Detroit. Detroit was considered "done" after that trade in my opinion. I wonder if regrets it knowing that he'll be knocked out in the first or second round in SA.

                          I mean why wouldn't you wanna run with Chauncey and Melo?
                          Last edited by ScoobySnax; 02-25-2010, 04:34 PM.
                          Originally posted by J. Cole
                          Fool me one time that's shame on you. Fool me twice can't put the blame on you. Fool me three times, **** the peace sign, load the chopper let it rain on you.
                          PSN: xxplosive1984
                          Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/os_scoobysnax/profile

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                          • Stumbleweed
                            Livin' the dream
                            • Oct 2006
                            • 6279

                            #28
                            Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

                            Yeah and the Nuggets are still paying him this year... sucks so bad. They really need to close those bull**** loopholes allowing players to essentially choose where they want to play. The only time they should get that choice is during free agency, otherwise they need to suit up for whoever trades for them... this 'holding teams hostage for a buyout' stuff is ridiculous.
                            Send your Midnight Release weirdo pics/videos to my new website: http://www.peopleofmidnightreleases.com!

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                            • ScoobySnax
                              #faceuary2014
                              • Mar 2009
                              • 7624

                              #29
                              Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

                              Originally posted by Stumbleweed
                              Yeah and the Nuggets are still paying him this year... sucks so bad. They really need to close those bull**** loopholes allowing players to essentially choose where they want to play. The only time they should get that choice is during free agency, otherwise they need to suit up for whoever trades for them... this 'holding teams hostage for a buyout' stuff is ridiculous.
                              It really is a shame. Seems like there's an instance or two every season. Hope they hammer out some rule about that over the off-season. They make enough money to pack their **** up and play wherever they're traded to. Some of these guys have no right to be choosy if you ask me.
                              Originally posted by J. Cole
                              Fool me one time that's shame on you. Fool me twice can't put the blame on you. Fool me three times, **** the peace sign, load the chopper let it rain on you.
                              PSN: xxplosive1984
                              Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/os_scoobysnax/profile

                              Comment

                              • ProfessaPackMan
                                Bamma
                                • Mar 2008
                                • 63852

                                #30
                                Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

                                Im praying for a Dallas/Denver-Atlanta Finals this year.
                                #RespectTheCulture

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