(Goaltending shots in dead ball situations is serious business! For Westbrook.)
NBA Thread 2013-2014
- Thread starter Eboue
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
(Goaltending shots in dead ball situations is serious business! For Westbrook.)
Oh it's not over yet...
Here is the draft order for the 'lottery' at this point, pre-draft of course.
1. Bucks (65 losses)
2. 76ers (63)
3. Magic (57)
4. Jazz (56)
5. Celtics (55)
6. Lakers (55)
7. Kings (53)
8. Pistons (52)
9. Cavs (49)
10. Sea Dumpsters (48)
11. Knicks (45)
12. Nuggets (44)
May be a fair few tiebreakers at the end. We'll see if all that losing pays off like predicted for this super-draft.
I'm gonna guess that the three lottery winners will be the 76ers, Magic and Celtics.
1. Bucks (65 losses)
2. 76ers (63)
3. Magic (57)
4. Jazz (56)
5. Celtics (55)
6. Lakers (55)
7. Kings (53)
8. Pistons (52)
9. Cavs (49)
10. Sea Dumpsters (48)
11. Knicks (45)
12. Nuggets (44)
May be a fair few tiebreakers at the end. We'll see if all that losing pays off like predicted for this super-draft.
I'm gonna guess that the three lottery winners will be the 76ers, Magic and Celtics.
I'm gonna guess Bucks, Magic, Jazz, and hope that karma will be a b*tch.
By the way, have the team with the worst record ever won the first pick?
Lakers are going to end up at 12.
First selection by pre-draft position by year:
12: 4th (Pelicans)
11: 8th (Clippers to Cavs)
10: 5th (Wizards)
9: 3rd (Clippers)
8: 9th (Bulls remarkably picking up local kid Rose...)
7: 7th (Blazers)
6: 5th (Raptors)
5: 6th (Bucks)
4: 1st (Magic)
3: 1st (Cavs)
2: 5th (Rockets)
1: 3rd (Wizards)
0: 7th (Nets)
99: 3rd (Bulls)
98: 3rd (Clippers)
97: 3rd (Spurs)
96: 2nd (76ers)
95: 5th (Warriors)
94: 4th (Bucks)
93: 11th (Magic)
Yes, twice in the last 20 years. The odds were changed at some point as well to make it more likely the worse teams would get top 3 picks.
Chicago lost the other day and slipped into 4th, not good for the Pacers if they're gonna get the 1st seed.
The Pacers would need Toronto to lose as they'd rather face the Raptors in the second round instead of the Bulls.
The Bulls @ Charlotte to end the season, and would need to win and see Toronto lose @ MSG to get the 3 seed.
The Pacers would need Toronto to lose as they'd rather face the Raptors in the second round instead of the Bulls.
The Bulls @ Charlotte to end the season, and would need to win and see Toronto lose @ MSG to get the 3 seed.
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I'm not much of an NBA fan these days, but it's ridiculous when a club wins nearly 60% of its scheduled games and misses the playoffs while multiple clubs struggle to win 50% and earn playoff berths. I've said the same thing in the NFL as well. For starters, there's too many playoff teams in the NBA, NHL, and MLB has watered down it's system too (the NFL will be stupid to add another playoff team or two).
Here's my fix, granted Americans would gasp at such a plan. Add 10 new teams: Seattle, San Diego, Kansas City, St Louis, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Louisville, Nashville, Tampa Bay/St Pete, and somewhere in Northern Virginia (other possibilities?). Split into two divisions - 20 clubs per. Play a balanced schedule - 4 games against each opponent, total of 76 games. Top 8 make playoffs, bottom 3 demoted. Top 2 from second division promoted (and will compete in series for overall champion and significant cash incentive for winner). Places 3rd through 6th compete in playoffs for final promotion spot. Create a commissioner's cup with all 40 clubs placed in 8 groups of 5; 2 games against each opponent; group winner advances to single elimination round (this is strictly to replace the 6 lost games).
Bang. Now the games actually mean something.
Here's my fix, granted Americans would gasp at such a plan. Add 10 new teams: Seattle, San Diego, Kansas City, St Louis, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Louisville, Nashville, Tampa Bay/St Pete, and somewhere in Northern Virginia (other possibilities?). Split into two divisions - 20 clubs per. Play a balanced schedule - 4 games against each opponent, total of 76 games. Top 8 make playoffs, bottom 3 demoted. Top 2 from second division promoted (and will compete in series for overall champion and significant cash incentive for winner). Places 3rd through 6th compete in playoffs for final promotion spot. Create a commissioner's cup with all 40 clubs placed in 8 groups of 5; 2 games against each opponent; group winner advances to single elimination round (this is strictly to replace the 6 lost games).
Bang. Now the games actually mean something.
I remember you posting about a 7-9 Seattle team making the playoffs a few years ago.
As for your fix, I like the promotion/demotion system, but I don't think fans will grvaitate towards such a system. The D-League is ignored by the vast majority of fans, so would the second tier attract many more fans? And what would happen to the D-League?
Looking at those cities... San Diego is in the Lakers market, Tampa Bay is captured by Miami/Orlando, NoVa has the Wizards, Nashville is a few hours drive from Memphis. Louisville has college basketball, would the NCAA be receptive to an intrusion into an exclusive market? Buffalo is just... meh. Seattle, Kansas City, St. Louis and Pittsburgh seem like viable sites for a NBA franchise, and I'm sure another 6 cities can be found (maybe Vancouver, Montreal, Mexico City...).
That's my first take on your draft; I have to do some actual work at work.
Markets/schmarkets. The Clippers were in San Diego and moved into LAL's backyard. Miami is quite a distance from TB. The list goes on. The US is a very expansive land, so there's plenty of room. Besides, close rivals are good for sports.
Doesn't have to be a pro/rel system. Could just divide into two rival conferences/leagues ala the old MLB AL/NL format with no inter-league play. The problem with pro sports in the US is that it's dominated by large markets and thus clubs don't grow from the grassroots base. Imagine the league being bloated into four conferences/regions of sixteen clubs per, with actual smaller markets like Rapid City and Albuquerque. Clubs compete in their conference/region with the ultimate goal of making the NBA's Final Four.
My concept of pro/rel system in the US is too limit the number of average clubs in the playoffs and/or provide fans of clubs without a chance in hell of winning the title (while the top tier clubs gobble up the best players) something to cheer for, i.e. avoiding relegation or achieving promotion. It makes those games in March and April more meaningful to the bottom table clubs and their fans. I personally feel MLB would benefit most from such a system. Fans of KC, Baltimore, San Diego, Seattle, etc. would actually have something to cheer for beyond June.
Doesn't have to be a pro/rel system. Could just divide into two rival conferences/leagues ala the old MLB AL/NL format with no inter-league play. The problem with pro sports in the US is that it's dominated by large markets and thus clubs don't grow from the grassroots base. Imagine the league being bloated into four conferences/regions of sixteen clubs per, with actual smaller markets like Rapid City and Albuquerque. Clubs compete in their conference/region with the ultimate goal of making the NBA's Final Four.
My concept of pro/rel system in the US is too limit the number of average clubs in the playoffs and/or provide fans of clubs without a chance in hell of winning the title (while the top tier clubs gobble up the best players) something to cheer for, i.e. avoiding relegation or achieving promotion. It makes those games in March and April more meaningful to the bottom table clubs and their fans. I personally feel MLB would benefit most from such a system. Fans of KC, Baltimore, San Diego, Seattle, etc. would actually have something to cheer for beyond June.
10 new teams? Are you on drugs?
16 teams make the playoffs, it's already too many. F*ck Phoenix, they have no chance to win it all.
Ah thanks. Hopefully it will be Milwaukee this year.
By the way, the lucky Bulls stole Rose from the Heat that year! Arrgh. The Heat were the ones with the worst record! How did they lose to the 9th place Bulls?
Can't complain now with the way things worked out after that, but I still feel gutted whenever I remember it.
Yeah, well, the Lakers should have demanded Wade in the Shaq trade.
I'm gasping. Why in the world would an owner of an NBA team agree to a system that potentially places his/her team at risk of relegation? Moreover-you're suggesting that existing owners (like Leonsis) agree to teams to be established in their own backyards. Would also dilute national TV money. Makes zero sense to me.
But the Heat wouldn't have taken it. Riley had a lot of faith in Wade, and he wanted him to be the face of the franchise.
Besides, I think the Lakers did get enough in return, considering Shaq was already 32. Although it did work out better for Miami than it did for the Lakers, and really should have delivered two instead of one title for Miami.
I'd give Indy a 50% change of getting to the conference finals. Both Miami and Indy will get past their first round opponent I'm sure.
Yeah I think that too. The question is how banged up will they be after coming out of the first round?
The semi-finals (East) will be great to watch!
Wiz season ticket holder here. On our day we can play with anyone-but other days we mail it in. Can't see us getting out of first round.
Whom do you prefer? Toronto or Chicago? (Surely not Miami?)
I couldn't watch the second half yesterday, but Wall, Ariza, Beal, can give anybody headache, and our perimeter defense has been terrible lately (unlike last year, we seem to be struggling more this year against teams with good 3-point shooters).
I hope you guys go for it tomorrow against Boston.
I think we'll play the game for real. Need some momentum going into the first round.
That said, not really sure we have much of a chance against Miami, Toronto or Chicago. Sounds like Miami rested players last night-though we did beat Miami earlier in the year. Beal is maddening to me-one game he shoots lights out and the next he can't throw the ball into the proverbial ocean. He's still young-he will get better.
Biggest worry for me is that Wall and Beal are playoff newbies. Saw this happen with Arenas in his first playoff series-took him time to adjust. Wall sometimes gets rattled when teams up the pressure late in the game.
Figure on a Miami-Pacer division final-hard to call-though Lebron will be tough to beat.
Aye, under the current system it'd never work.
Although Marcello went a bit too far in the other direction, (s)he is trying to fix deep-rooted systemic influences. The eastern US has always been more hockey/baseball-centric and traveling distances are on average far shorter. Those factors had a big influence in the early days when team travel/regional rivalry was no small issue.
Long story short, the 'best' solution for the play-well-still-miss-the-playoffs problem is open seeding, but for the reasons you pointed out, that in itself would be hotly contested.
Would absolutely drive me crazy if my team in the Western Conference was 10 games over 500 and missed the playoffs while an Eastern team under 500 gets in. Totally unfair. Seems like these things balance out over time--not sure you need to overturn the apple cart to fix. And-given the NBA's attendance and ratings--not sure there's even a problem from the league's perspective.
Final day in the regular season...
Apart from 1st, 2nd and 8th, all other seeds aren't guaranteed in the East.
The Clippers can still overtake OKC in the West, and Dallas and Memphis will fight it out for the 7th seed.
Apart from 1st, 2nd and 8th, all other seeds aren't guaranteed in the East.
The Clippers can still overtake OKC in the West, and Dallas and Memphis will fight it out for the 7th seed.
Raptors clinch 3rd, Bulls in 4th
Wiz will be 5th seed. 2-1 this year against Chicago-should be a good series. Go Wizards!
Lakers end the season with a win!!
Hopefully that's the last we see of D'Antoni. Might also be the last time Pau is on the Lakers' roster, been a fantastic player.
Hopefully that's the last we see of D'Antoni. Might also be the last time Pau is on the Lakers' roster, been a fantastic player.
The numbers say otherwise.
Miami finished with a 54-28 record.
Indiana finished with a 56-26 record.
Indiana and Miami split the series, and Indiana got the first seed (two wins ahead of Miami).
Predictions anyone?
West:
Spurs beat Dallas 4-0 (regular season series Spurs won 4-0)
Rockets beat Portland 4-2 (regular season series Rockets won 3-1)
OKC beat Memphis 4-1 (regular season series Thunder won 3-1)
Clippers beat GSW 4-3 (regular season series tied 2-2)
Rockets beat Spurs 4-3 (regular season series Rockets won 4-0)
OKC beat Clippers 4-2 (regular season series tied 2-2)
OKC beat Rockets 4-2 (regular season series Thunder won 3-1)
East:
Indiana beat Atlanta 4-1 (regular season series tied 2-2)
Bulls beat Wizards 4-2 (regular season series Wizards won 2-1)
Miami beat Bobcats 4-1 (regular season series Miami won 4-0)
Nets beat Raptors 4-2 (regular season series tied 2-2)
Bulls beat Indiana 4-3 (regular season series tied 2-2)
Miami beat Nets 4-3 (regular season series Nets won 4-0)
Miami beat Bulls 4-2 (regular season series tied 2-2)
Final:
OKC beats Miami 4-3 (regular season series tied 1-1)
Spurs beat Dallas 4-0 (regular season series Spurs won 4-0)
Rockets beat Portland 4-2 (regular season series Rockets won 3-1)
OKC beat Memphis 4-1 (regular season series Thunder won 3-1)
Clippers beat GSW 4-3 (regular season series tied 2-2)
Rockets beat Spurs 4-3 (regular season series Rockets won 4-0)
OKC beat Clippers 4-2 (regular season series tied 2-2)
OKC beat Rockets 4-2 (regular season series Thunder won 3-1)
East:
Indiana beat Atlanta 4-1 (regular season series tied 2-2)
Bulls beat Wizards 4-2 (regular season series Wizards won 2-1)
Miami beat Bobcats 4-1 (regular season series Miami won 4-0)
Nets beat Raptors 4-2 (regular season series tied 2-2)
Bulls beat Indiana 4-3 (regular season series tied 2-2)
Miami beat Nets 4-3 (regular season series Nets won 4-0)
Miami beat Bulls 4-2 (regular season series tied 2-2)
Final:
OKC beats Miami 4-3 (regular season series tied 1-1)
SA 4-0 Dallas ==========> SA 4-1 Houston ==========> OKC 4-2 SA
OKC 4-2 Memphis =======> OKC 4-3 Clippers
Clippers 4-1 GS
Houston 4-2 Portland
Indiana 4-3 Atlanta ======> Indiana 4-2 Chicago =====> Miami 4-2 Indiana
Miami 4-1 Charlotte ======> Miami 4-1 Toronto
Toronto 4-3 Brooklyn
Chicago 4-2 Washington
OKC 4-1 Miami
OKC 4-2 Memphis =======> OKC 4-3 Clippers
Clippers 4-1 GS
Houston 4-2 Portland
Indiana 4-3 Atlanta ======> Indiana 4-2 Chicago =====> Miami 4-2 Indiana
Miami 4-1 Charlotte ======> Miami 4-1 Toronto
Toronto 4-3 Brooklyn
Chicago 4-2 Washington
OKC 4-1 Miami
SA 4-0 Dallas ==========> Houston 4-2 SA ==========> Clippers 4-2 Houston
OKC 4-2 Memphis =======> Clippers 4-3 OKC
Clippers 4-2 GS
Houston 4-1 Portland
Indiana 4-1 Atlanta ======> Indiana 4-2 Chicago =====> Miami 4-2 Indiana
Miami 4-0 Charlotte ======> Miami 4-2 Brooklyn
Toronto 2-4 Brooklyn
Chicago 4-2 Washington
Miami 4-2 Clippers
OKC 4-2 Memphis =======> Clippers 4-3 OKC
Clippers 4-2 GS
Houston 4-1 Portland
Indiana 4-1 Atlanta ======> Indiana 4-2 Chicago =====> Miami 4-2 Indiana
Miami 4-0 Charlotte ======> Miami 4-2 Brooklyn
Toronto 2-4 Brooklyn
Chicago 4-2 Washington
Miami 4-2 Clippers
I like the Suns and it sucks for them that they miss out on the play-offs this year, but the suggestions that are being put forward to replace the current system are all flawed, more so than the current conference-based seeding. And besides, how often (if ever) has a team seeded lower than 3 actually won the NBA? We're going to change everything just so that Suns' season can last a couple weeks longer?
Clippers won't make it past the second round.
The East:-
Pacers 4-2 Hawks.
Miami 4-1 Charlotte.
Raptors 2-4 Nets.
Bulls 4-2 Wizards.
Pacers 3-4 Bulls.
Miami 4-3 Nets.
Miami 4-2 Bulls.
The West:-
Spurs 4-1 Dallas.
OKC 4-2 Memphis.
Clippers 4-2 Golden State.
Houston 4-3 Portland.
Spurs 4-2 Houston.
OKC 4-2 Clippers.
Spurs 3-4 OKC.
The Finals:-
OKC 3-4 Miami.
Pacers 4-2 Hawks.
Miami 4-1 Charlotte.
Raptors 2-4 Nets.
Bulls 4-2 Wizards.
Pacers 3-4 Bulls.
Miami 4-3 Nets.
Miami 4-2 Bulls.
The West:-
Spurs 4-1 Dallas.
OKC 4-2 Memphis.
Clippers 4-2 Golden State.
Houston 4-3 Portland.
Spurs 4-2 Houston.
OKC 4-2 Clippers.
Spurs 3-4 OKC.
The Finals:-
OKC 3-4 Miami.
Seems like everybody is picking the Nets. I may very well be wrong, but I'm still not sold on them. I think Toronto are more consistent.
We'll see.
We'll see.
Pierce took over late in the first game of this season's playoffs. Clippers/Warriors are now on which is probably the best matchup of the first round.
Methinks another CP3 playoff-choke special is on the way... how else do you explain losing to Warriors when Curry and Thompson go a combined 13-36?