There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

[KG]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

I'd put Cleveland up there with LA in the discussion among teams who have the highest of expectations. Like born said, they are very deep now and will only get better come March when Z re-signs. Denver, Orlando, and Boston are all more than capable of doing damage though. I can't wait, should be a nice race to June.

[Brankles]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

I disagree completely. The Magic, Mavs and Boston both have lineups with four All Star caliber players in the starting five. When Orlando made their trades this summer, they added a bunch of talent to a team that made the Finals. If they had a real leader on the court and actually played up to their potential, Orlando would have much higher expectations.

Cleveland is now loaded, with Williams, Jamison, Lebron, Raggedy, Shaq, Z(pending), West, Parker, Moon...that is a DEEP team. What they lack in marquee(and lack being a relative term here), they more than make up for in size and depth. With the emergence of Rondo, Boston would easily have the best five in the league were it not for KG's injury.

Let's revisit Dallas: Dirk, Caron, Kidd, Terry, Marion, Haywood. Three multi-All Stars, two fringe all stars, and a full sized, 10 and 10 center.

The Lakers have two All Stars, Kobe and Pau. Odom, Artest and Bynum are fringe All Stars, and that's a nice five, but after that you don't have anyone who would start on a decent team. The rest of the Lakers are guys who have done nothing in this league.

I could see if the Lakers had more stars, or five All NBA players, but they don't. They have two All NBA guys and some nice players around them. I don't see anything in their lineup that makes them clearly superior than the rest of the league.

I agree, there are other good teams out there. The Lakers could lose, but if they did, it would be an upset. That's my criteria of how I determine if someone is a clear-cut favorite.

All of the teams you mentioned have one star surrounded by lesser role players. The Lakers' supporting cast, their next 4 best players after Kobe are clearly the best role players in the league. Put any of them on the low-rung teams in the NBA and they immediately become that team's focal point (Odom, Artest, Bynum, Gasol). That can't be said about any other squad. That four's incredible skill-set trumps any other team's next four. The depth for LA is an issue, but in the playoffs when games are days apart, when starters play major minutes, they won't need an Eddie House to drop 30 or a JJ Hickson getting 15 rebounds.

I hate the Lakers, but they are loaded. They are built for the playoffs. They have height, toughness, experience, coaching, consistency and star power. Orlando relies too much on outside shooting. Cleveland relies too much on LeBron. Dallas is improving, but they're not LA and lack defense. Boston and San Antonio are aging. The Nuggets are streaky. There are arguments for and against these squads, but LA has the fewest weaknesses and the most strengths. If Cleveland, Orlando, Dallas, Denver or Boston lose, I don't think many people will be as surprised as if LAL lost.


It's not as clear-cut as the Kobe-Shaq teams a few years back, but LA is still king.

[TMagic]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

That's absurd.

The Lakers may not be the clear cut favorites to beat Boston or Cleveland, but they have 5 games on everyone in the West and are definitely the favorites to come out of the West.

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.

Can't agree here Cebby.

They have beaten the teams they are suppose to beat. They simply do not lose to inferior teams. Their losses come to playoff teams. Which is why they have the best record in the West.

But as ZB and EX have pointed out, they have not fared well against the best teams in the league. In the West, they are 1-1 against the Spurs, 2-2 against the Mavs, and 0-2 against the Nuggets (and as EX mentioned, they were completely owned in those meetings).

Then looking out East they are 1-1 against Boston, 1-0 against Orlando, and 0-2 against LeBron.

So against the contenders, they have an ugly losing record at 5-8. Against SA, DEN, and DAL out west they are 3-5.

They played much better against the best teams last year. To put things into perspective, out West they were 2-1 against the Spurs, 3-0 against the Mavs, and 3-1 against Denver.

Looking out East they were 2-0 against Boston, 2-0 against LeBron, and 0-2 against Orlando.

This lead to a combined, and impressive, 12-4 against those teams. This year, they are 5-8.

This is the reason I do not think you can say that the Lakers are the clear favorites. I just don't see how one can say that they are the clear favorites for the title, or just out west, when they have not played well against the other contenders this year.

I disagree completely. The Magic, Mavs and Boston both have lineups with four All Star caliber players in the starting five. When Orlando made their trades this summer, they added a bunch of talent to a team that made the Finals. If they had a real leader on the court and actually played up to their potential, Orlando would have much higher expectations.

Cleveland is now loaded, with Williams, Jamison, Lebron, Raggedy, Shaq, Z(pending), West, Parker, Moon...that is a DEEP team. What they lack in marquee(and lack being a relative term here), they more than make up for in size and depth. With the emergence of Rondo, Boston would easily have the best five in the league were it not for KG's injury.

Let's revisit Dallas: Dirk, Caron, Kidd, Terry, Marion, Haywood. Three multi-All Stars, two fringe all stars, and a full sized, 10 and 10 center.

The Lakers have two All Stars, Kobe and Pau. Odom, Artest and Bynum are fringe All Stars, and that's a nice five, but after that you don't have anyone who would start on a decent team. The rest of the Lakers are guys who have done nothing in this league.

I could see if the Lakers had more stars, or five All NBA players, but they don't. They have two All NBA guys and some nice players around them. I don't see anything in their lineup that makes them clearly superior than the rest of the league.

I was going to respond to that. I see that I don't need to...LOL

[GaryT531]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

My comparisons are fair. No Denver and L.A. don't have the rivalry that NY, and Chicago did, but what they do have in common is that they are/were put together to match up with the Knicks, and Bulls...but couldn't get past them because of the best player in the game. If Denver makes it that far again, I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be the same as last year. Afflalo, and Ty Lawson aren't enough to get Denver past L.A. just like Xavier McDaniel, Doc Rivers, and Charles Smith weren't enough to get New York past the Bulls.

23, you to call my comparisons rediculous, I want to hear why. Do you even have anything?

I've been on these boards for years, finally decided to start posting two years ago. Some of you 25,000 post guys have nothing to say but crap. I'd rather listen to a rookie with 50 good posts that are quality, than some of you blue and green named guys who post thousands of worthless comments.

[23]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

First off its your opinion of who the best player in the game is

Secondly, Denver is a high powered offensive team where NY played more hardcore intimidating defense to beat teams.

They are hardly the same kind of team. Its okay if you have an opinion but coming here making ridiculous claims as facts then calling others opinions worthless makes you seem very shallow.

...and your post is still off.

[GaryT531]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

Yeah, they do remind me of the Knicks because what I'm saying its a similar situation. It clearly is. How could you not see that? They are similar in the fact where they have built their teams to knock off the Lakers, and the Bulls.

LOL I'm shallow. Personal namecalling, from a mod who's supposed to set an example on these boards. I'm not even going there. I'll stick with talking basketball, thanks.

And now you want to nit pick with me over who the best player in the game is? That's not even a debate until your boy LeBron gets a ring. Your debate dissapoints me man. You have nothing. If you want to call me out, bring something to the table next time. I'm done with you.

[KG]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

First off its your opinion of who the best player in the game is

Secondly, Denver is a high powered offensive team where NY played more hardcore intimidating defense to beat teams.

They are hardly the same kind of team. Its okay if you have an opinion but coming here making ridiculous claims as facts then calling others opinions worthless makes you seem very shallow.

...and your post is still off.

I don't think he was comparing team styles, just similar roadblocks.

[OSUFan_88]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

And now you want to nit pick with me over who the best player in the game is? That's not even a debate until your boy LeBron gets a ring. Your debate dissapoints me man. You have nothing. If you want to call me out, bring something to the table next time. I'm done with you.

I guess the fact that LeBron is averaging 30/7/8, only the 3rd player ever to do so, doesn't make him the best player in the NBA because he hasn't won a ring, a team award?

Well, that's logical.

[GaryT531]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

I don't think he was comparing team styles, just similar roadblocks.

Finally, someone who understands.

[GaryT531]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

I guess the fact that LeBron is averaging 30/7/8, only the 3rd player ever to do so, doesn't make him the best player in the NBA because he hasn't won a ring, a team award?

Well, that's logical.

If another game of basketball was never to be played again, who would be remembered as a better player? Kobe or LeBron? Kobe.

Who would be remembered as a greater winner? Kobe.

30/7/8....who cares? Still has to prove he can get his team past Orlando.

Is LeBron having a better season than Kobe? Yes. Does that mean that he is a better player? No.

[23]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

If another game of basketball was never to be played again, who would be remembered as a better player? Kobe or LeBron? Kobe.

Who would be remembered as a greater winner? Kobe.

30/7/8....who cares? Still has to prove he can get his team past Orlando.

Is LeBron having a better season than Kobe? Yes. Does that mean that he is a better player? No.

Im going to ask you not to derail this thread with your bouts about Kobe or LeBron

Yes I said you appear shallow for feeling your opinion needs to be felt and everyone else's worthless while trying to single out a post count.

Now continue to post on topic. Everyone wont agree with you, so accept that and you'll be fine.

[OSUFan_88]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

If another game of basketball was never to be played again, who would be remembered as a better player? Kobe or LeBron? Kobe.

Who would be remembered as a greater winner? Kobe.

30/7/8....who cares? Still has to prove he can get his team past Orlando.

Is LeBron having a better season than Kobe? Yes. Does that mean that he is a better player? No.

[Bornindamecca]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

Hmm...Lakers are only 4.5 games ahead. Not an insurmountable lead, particularly if they keep losing to the top teams out West.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

That didn't take long.

As long as you that's most likely what'll happen.

[23]

Re: There Are No Clear Cut Favorites This Year

Next poster coming in here to intentionally go off topic especially with another comparison rant is getting red carded

didnt mean you tmagic