Grade Your Team (NBA) (coaches, uniform, jersey, finals)

[JJG]

Originally Posted by beowulf7

It doesn't help that the Nets owner wants to move the team to Brooklyn, NY.

I thought that was already official?

[beowulf7]

Originally Posted by JJG

I thought that was already official?

Well, it kind of is. The owner def. wants to move out of NJ and into Brooklyn. However, the Brooklyn residents voted against it b/c of additional taxes that they'd be incurred. Since I moved out of NJ in 2006, I haven't quite kept up w/ the latest news about the Nets. I'll ask my friends there if they've heard any updates to it lately.

[noid_1985]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

My Team: Chicago Bulls

Overall:
History and Tradition: A (MJ and Scottie dynasty)
Division: C (Detroit, Cleveland and Indiana have all been rivals at various points, but never all at the same time)
Uniforms: A (Classic and clean)
Ownership: C (Too often has a small market mentality for a large market team)
Location: B+ (United Center turned the neighborhood to the east from a ghetto into a trendy and upscale neighborhood, but it's still dicey west of the stadium)
Arena: B (The United Center isn't bad as a modern multipurpose set of skyboxes, but the old Chicago Stadium was a temple)
Fans: A+ (Even in those horrid post-MJ seasons, the Bulls consistently led the NBA in attendance - we aren't front-running Laker fans)

Good

08-09 season- B(etter) than expected

[ChiMack]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

My Team: Chicago Bulls

Overall:
History and Tradition: A (MJ and Scottie dynasty)
Division: C (Detroit, Cleveland and Indiana have all been rivals at various points, but never all at the same time)
Uniforms: A (Classic and clean)
Ownership: C (Too often has a small market mentality for a large market team)
Location: B+ (United Center turned the neighborhood to the east from a ghetto into a trendy and upscale neighborhood, but it's still dicey west of the stadium)
Arena: B (The United Center isn't bad as a modern multipurpose set of skyboxes, but the old Chicago Stadium was a temple)
Fans: A+ (Even in those horrid post-MJ seasons, the Bulls consistently led the NBA in attendance - we aren't front-running Laker fans)

2007-08 Season:
Regular Season: F (Went from Eastern Conference contenders to 15 games below .500)
Star Power: D- (The Bulls have lots of role players but no stars whatsoever, which is very tough as a fan that grew up watching the biggest star of them all in MJ and the '90s teams being followed around like The Beatles all across the country)
Coaching: F (Interim coach Jim Boylan will be gone after this season, but he certainly hasn't improved his stock in the eyes of the rest of the NBA by letting the inmates run the asylum)

i agree but the east of the uc is stil dicey

[Toxic Toast]

Even thought this thread is very dated, I want to play......

My team: Indiana Pacers

Overall:
History and Tradition: B
Division: B
Uniforms: A
Ownership: B+
Location: A+
Arena: A+
Fans: B

Comments: The Pacers fell on tough times in the wake of the brawl at the Palace. Jamaal Tinsley is still an albotross hanging over this franchise. Things are turning around. The fieldhouse was not as embarrasingly empty this year as it has been the past couple of seasons. Late in the season, with the playoffs out of reach, Conseco Fieldhouse was filled with rowdy Pacer fans for a game with the Spurs. The crowd was so loud in the fourth quarter, you would have thought it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals (it helps when Tony Parker keeps flopping to try drawing fouls and people are angry). I can't wait for next year. The Pacers will be a playoff team and will put a scare into someone.

2008-09 Season:
Regular Season: C
Star Power: B
Coaching: B

Comments: Danny Granger was an all-star and won the Most Improved Player award. Rush started playing with more confidence near the end of the season. Hibbert finnally stopped taking so many fouls. Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster played well. Jarret Jack started taking over the point. If not for the slow start, they would have been a playoff team this year, and they would have PUSHED the Cavs in the first round. The future is bright in Pacerland!

[urban analysis therapist]

New York Knicks:

History and Tradition: A (not quite like the Celtics or Lakers, but still quite excellent)
Division: C (even with the Celtics, the Atlantic Division stinks)
Uniform: A- (I like the 90's uniform better, but that's mostly because of the taint associated with players like Jerome James, Steve Francis, Eddy Curry, Marbury, Jalen Rose, Malik Rose, Zach Randolph, etc.)
Ownership: F (Jimmy Dolan. 'Nuff said)
Location: A++++ (Middle of Manhattan? Kaching!! Would be a bit better further away and in a less industrial area, but whatever.)
Arena: A++++ (The World's Most Famous Arena)
Fans: A- (less bandwagon fans than most teams, probably the most knowledgeable fans. But even the most hardened and devoted fans were completely disillusioned after Van Gundy's resignation, the Isiah Error, and the 1-year destruction of the team under Larry Brown.

Seriously - we traded Trevor Ariza for Steve Francis because this a*@wipe moron didn't like to play young players. I hope Brown burns in basketball Hell whenever he goes.)

2008-09 Season:
Regular Season: B- (this team was a serious breath of fresh air after the Isiah Error)
Star Power: C- (let's just say that Al Harrington, David Lee, Nate Robinson, and Chris Duhon aren't exactly getting the fans to stampede into the Garden)
Coaching: B+ (D'Antoni is the first competent coach we've had since Van Gundy. Not perfect, but it's a real relief after those trainwrecks out there. Especially Larry Brown and Isiah)

And just for the hell of it:
Media and Broadcasting: A+ (where else can I hear Mike Breen and Clyde? But the real treat is on radio - Gus Johnson is the backup to Mike Breen on MSG, so he's the main play-by-play guy on the radio. Incredible!

Believe me, you've never heard truly enthusiastic play-by-play until you've heard Gus go, "MY NAME IS AL HARRINGTON, and I....GET....BUCKETS!!!!")

[Buckeye in SC]

Cleveland Cavaliers:

History and Tradition: C+ = 1976 Miracle of Richfield team, the late 80s/early 90s team, the current Lebron era; other than that, the franchise has had plenty of struggles
Division: B (3 of the 8 playoff teams in the East)
Uniform: A (by far the current uniform is the best they've ever had, yet they still resort to the 'hardwood classics' during the season often)
Ownership: A+ (current owner Dan Gilbert has done everything in his power to bring a championship to the city, having Lebron hasn't hurt thoguh )
Location: C (Cleveland doesn't exactly have the best of reputations)
Arena: A- (The Q is a solid NBA arena)
Fans: A (hungry for a championship and arguably the loudest arena in the NBA right now)


2008-09 Season:
Regular Season: Incomplete (if they make the NBA Finals = A-, win the championship = A+)
Star Power: A+ (Lebron is about as good as star power as you could get, 30 national TV games during the season for a Cleveland team tells you all you need to know)
Coaching: A (Coach Brown has come a long way and was coach of the year this year)

Media and Broadcasting: A (Joe Tait on the radio is as good as it gets - TV side is a different story, only quip I have w/Dan Gilbert is letting Michael Reghi go a few seasons back for Fred McCleod)

[Buckeye in SC]

Originally Posted by urban analysis therapist

New York Knicks:


Media and Broadcasting: A+ (where else can I hear Mike Breen and Clyde? But the real treat is on radio - Gus Johnson is the backup to Mike Breen on MSG, so he's the main play-by-play guy on the radio. Incredible!

Believe me, you've never heard truly enthusiastic play-by-play until you've heard Gus go, "MY NAME IS AL HARRINGTON, and I....GET....BUCKETS!!!!")

Gus Johnson annoys the crap out of me, you'd think every basket he announces was the game winner of the NCAA championship when he calls NCAA basketball, glad I don't have to hear him do NBA games too! Breen is solid though.

[urban analysis therapist]

Originally Posted by Buckeye in SC

Gus Johnson annoys the crap out of me, you'd think every basket he announces was the game winner of the NCAA championship when he calls NCAA basketball, glad I don't have to hear him do NBA games too! Breen is solid though.

The NCAA tourney is a do-or-die tournament, so why shouldn't the announcers be excited after every basket? Anyway, a lot of people seem to think that Gus goes crazy for the whole game, but it's obviously not the case. He simply goes with the ebb of the game. If the teams are simply trading possessions in normal situations, he'll only be somewhat enthusiastic. But once the one of the teams gets hot, he'll go into beserker mode and really let you know that something exciting is about to happen.

This is important to radio commentary, in particular. Nowadays, you have way too many TV-turned-radio play-by-play guys who can barely describe the gameplay in progress, can't tell one player from the other, and simply don't let you into the action of the game. Gus is a special treat on radio, as he is the complete opposite of the mediocre commentator I described above. Trust me: when it comes to a game being broadcast on radio, you want a breathless play-by-play guy.

[Buckeye in SC]

Originally Posted by urban analysis therapist

The NCAA tourney is a do-or-die tournament, so why shouldn't the announcers be excited after every basket? Anyway, a lot of people seem to think that Gus goes crazy for the whole game, but it's obviously not the case. He simply goes with the ebb of the game. If the teams are simply trading possessions in normal situations, he'll only be somewhat enthusiastic. But once the one of the teams gets hot, he'll go into beserker mode and really let you know that something exciting is about to happen.

This is important to radio commentary, in particular. Nowadays, you have way too many TV-turned-radio play-by-play guys who can barely describe the gameplay in progress, can't tell one player from the other, and simply don't let you into the action of the game. Gus is a special treat on radio, as he is the complete opposite of the mediocre commentator I described above. Trust me: when it comes to a game being broadcast on radio, you want a breathless play-by-play guy.

I agree that he is better suited for radio and that he probably wouldn't be as annoying there. But when I'm watching a game live, I don't need to have the play-by-play guy going crazy all the time.