NBA Regular Season 14/15

padraig_f · 15-04-2015 11:47pm

Just looking at some of the betting lines for the key games tonight to get an idea of who's favoured, and by how much:

Raptors -10.5 vs Hornets
Bulls -5.5 vs. Hawks
Thunder -14 @ Timberwolves
Spurs -5.5 @ Pelicans
Pacers -2.5 @ Grizzlies (!)
Nets -9 vs. Magic

I looked earlier and the Pacers were 1 pt underdogs, now they're 2.5 pt favourites, so maybe the Grizzlies are resting some players. -2.5 is nothing much in basketball though, and it's essentially a 50/50 game.

ButtersSuki · 15-04-2015 11:56pm

ButtersSuki wrote: »

Just watched the Golden State - LA game - is there a more exciting (offensive) back court in the league than Curry and Thompson? Looking forward to seeing them in the flesh in a few weeks (PLEASE DO NOT GET INJURED IN THE INTERIM!). Ok, my overdue predictions for the year:
East: 1) Cavs 2) Bulls 3) Wizards 4) Raptors 5) Hawks 6) Charlotte Hornets 7) Knicks 8) Heat( I really wanted to omit the Heat here, that pick comes down to how much you trust Bosh's ability to get back to his Toronto days.I think that Stan could find a way to get Detroit into the playoffs also.)

West 1) Spurs 2) Clippers 3) Grizzlies 4)OKC 5) Warriors 6) Rockets 7) Mavs 8) Trail Blazers (Suns won't be far away. It's just hard to see any of last years teams slipping out of the playoffs. The Blazers are the most likely to have a regression year imo, and I have a sneaky feeling about the Pelicans. Davis could possible drag his team kicking and screaming into the 8th spot.

MVP: It's too easy to say LeBron and though he is the best player in the league part of me thinks he will suffer from voter fatigue again. So, that, and Durant out for part of the season ruling him out I'd going to throw in a wild card - Joakim Noah. This is contingent on the Bulls winning the East (which I think they will) and the press hankering for a team player over individual style MVP a la the real old days. Wild card - either Chris Paul or Blake Griffin from the Clipps; and, and I'm not joking here - writer/cocah/commentator favourite Anthony Davis has a real shot at this if the Pelicans make the Playoffs.
Rookie of the Year: Smart - I think he's going to get major minutes in Beantown and in the ROY race that's a huge factor.
Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis
Most Improved Player: Anthony Davis (again - if it's possible to win more than one award, this is the guy to do it). Or Blake Griffin (seriously).
6th man: Isiah Thomas
Breakout Player: Mason Plumlee (prob should have been ROY last year in hindsight - check the stats and the +/-)
Coach of the year: Thibs (or potentially Blatt)

East:
1. Bulls - obviously contingent on the 1st 5 staying injury free.
2. Cavs
3. Raptors
4. Wizards
5. Atlanta
6. Charlotte
7. Miami
8. Brooklyn

West:
1. San Antonio - you just can't knock them, the coach or their consistency.
2. Clippers - have to improve on Year 2 with Doc
3. GSW - I said they'd win the West last year, think they have a real shot this year again if Bogut in particular can stay healthy.
4. Houston - only this high due to OKC losing ground early but on their day could beat anyone, Think the Parsons loss will ultimately be something they regret
5. OKC - would have been way higher save for the current injuries, prob. 2nd to be fair but losing Durant and Westbrrok early will hurt them. That said, if you're going to lose guys to injury better now than any other time.
6. Dallas - look seriously good offensively
7. Memphis
8. Portland

The East will be a bit of a joke again this year with really only 2 teams competing for it while the West will see really good teams not make the Play Offs again - which is a shame.

Finals:

Bulls V someone from the West (lol). Really torn on this, my head says San Antonio but they're going to have to beat at least 2 really really good teams to get that far. I see anyone from San An, OKC, the Clippers or GSW legitimately have a shot at winning the West and ultimately, it all. I'm going to say San An or GSW, but this is a fricking coin toss.

Interesting how some things play out exactly as you expect and others, well….don't. :rolleyes:

D2D · 16-04-2015 12:12am

Heat/Sixers is a strange game tonight where both teams pretty much want to/have to lose.

Heat want to/have to lose as they need their pick this year as it goes to the Sixers if the pick falls beyond the top 10. If the Heat win and if the Nets lose to Orlando, a coin flip will decide which team is 10th and which team is 11th in the NBA Draft lottery.

Sixers want to/have to lose as they have the third worst record in the league and a Sixers loss and a Knicks win ties them for the second worst record, improving the Sixers chances of a top pick, along with the better chance of getting that Miami pick

#TANK

D2D · 16-04-2015 11:54am

- Brooklyn take the 8th seed in the East with a win over the Magic, Pacers lost to the Grizz.

- The Nawlins Pelicans nabbed the 8th seed out west last night with a win over the Spurs.

- Russell Westbrook won the scoring title - "Doesn't mean nothing," Westbrook said when asked about his first career scoring title. "Good job. Hurray. I'm at home. Watching other teams play. Doesn't mean nothing."

ButtersSuki · 16-04-2015 11:57am

D2D wrote: »

- Brooklyn take the 8th seed in the East with a win over the Magic, Pacers lost to the Grizz.

- The Nawlins Pelicans nabbed the 8th seed out west last night with a win over the Spurs.

- Russell Westbrook won the scoring title - "Doesn't mean nothing," Westbrook said when asked about his first career scoring title. "Good job. Hurray. I'm at home. Watching other teams play. Doesn't mean nothing."

I know Durant's injury had a massive part to play in Westbrook winning the scoring title but I can't recall a team with different back to back scoring title winners.

I reckon its last chance saloon time for OKC next year or the big boys will leave.

killwill · 16-04-2015 1:39pm

ButtersSuki wrote: »

I know Durant's injury had a massive part to play in Westbrook winning the scoring title but I can't recall a team with different back to back scoring title winners.

I reckon its last chance saloon time for OKC next year or the big boys will leave.

Westbrook is contracted until the summer of 2017 I think. And being an LA kid might actually be tempted to the Lakers. He had some kind words to say about Kobe the other day but maybe Im reading too much into that.
Is Durant going into his last season this year with OKC?

16-04-2015 1:51pm

interesting idea to fix the draft on mike and mike yesterday, not sure if it works but its one of the better changes iv seen what do ye think?

abolish the draft itself and make it so that every team can go in and try to convince the guy out of college to sign with them but if you would have had the number one draft pick you can offer the most money if you would have had the number two you con offer the second most.

what i like about it is that it does not out and out reward tanking would a guy go to the sixers or knicks and be content with getting more money for loseing or would they take less to go to a team with a chance to contend and get there big money contract after the rookie deal ends.

the only fear i guess is would a team like the lakers be able to get around this due to the potential sponsorship money a guy can earn there even before he becomes a star

padraig_f · 16-04-2015 1:56pm

Hawks 85 - Bulls 91

That was intense. I wanted that game more than about any other this season, and the Bulls were down 18 at one point. I just hate the Wizards and didn't want to see them again after playing them last year. I wasn't afraid of them, just don't like them, and it would've been an unpleasant series. I also want a shot at Cleveland in the 2nd round. We may well lose the series, but I want the shot.

The Hawks played their starters, and they played with a surprising intensity. The Bulls did too, which was expected, but the intensity the Hawks players played with surprised me, with nothing on the line for them. Down 17 mid-way through the 3rd against a good team, I thought 'no chance'. But the players hung in there, got on a bit of a run, and then in fairness the Hawks did us a favour. They called off the dogs and sat the starters for the 4th quarter. It wasn't over though....the Hawks bench got hot, and it was a 2-point game with 2 minutes to go. Then the Bulls extra experience allowed them to close it out.

Star of the game was Aaron Brooks. He's got this great move where he drives into the lane, looks off to the weak side like he's going to pass it, and it just buys him an extra bit of space to go the other direction towards the rim. You can see it here around the 1:45 mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ9BAx-VosI

Incredibly skilful player. He also made some big 3s and hustle plays in the 4th quarter to help close the game out. Been a great pickup this season, and with a lesser backup PG, we'd have lost this game (Rose sat out the 2nd half with knee soreness, which is a bit of a concern, but it sounded more precautionary, I'd expect him to start on Saturday).

Onto the playoffs, and I'm really looking forward to it now.

buyer95 · 16-04-2015 4:19pm

buyer95 wrote: »

Prediction times lads.

Playoff teams:

East: 1) Cavs 2) Bulls 3) Wizards 4) Raptors 5) Hawks 6) Charlotte Hornets 7) Knicks 8) Heat( I really wanted to omit the Heat here, that pick comes down to how much you trust Bosh's ability to get back to his Toronto days.I think that Stan could find a way to get Detroit into the playoffs also.)

West 1) Spurs 2) Clippers 3) Grizzlies 4)OKC 5) Warriors 6) Rockets 7) Mavs 8) Trail Blazers (Suns won't be far away. It's just hard to see any of last years teams slipping out of the playoffs. The Blazers are the most likely to have a regression year imo, and I have a sneaky feeling about the Pelicans. Davis could possible drag his team kicking and screaming into the 8th spot.

Surprise team (good): Pelicans

Flop team: Heat

Champions: Spurs over Cavs

MVP LeBron James
Rookie of the Year: Jabari Parker
Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis
Most Improved Player Bradley Beal
6th man: Taj Gibson
Breakout Player: Iman Shumpert
Coach of the year: David Joerger

Ah Butters I think you posted my predictions for the standings? Not to worry. Happy enough looking back now on my predictions.
Edit: Oh wait you were just quoting mine, sorry.

NBA Regular Season 14/15

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