Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
i dont know that i would go that far.
OKC is the best team in the west right now, but IMO denver is not as good as they are made out to be, portland is the best team in the NW . utah is the beneficiary of a semi-weak schedule and while minny is playing ok, they are still not good.
in the end the SW division is still the reigning king of tough divisions.
dallas slumped early and isnt playing top ball but they are still in the top of the league, memphis even with losing zbo, houston just won 7 tough games in a row playing great ball most nights, san antonio isnt playing great on the road but even with manu gone they are a beast. the only bad team in the division is NO and what can you say about them, they lost their best 2 players, and of the 2 decent players they got back, one is playing weak (kaman) and the other cant get on the floor for 2-3 more weeks.
I agree that OKC is the best in the West right now, but the Nuggets are tough too. After the Thunder, it's really hard for me to say whos 2nd best, 3rd best, ect in the West because of all the good teams. The thing with Denver though is they traded Melo, and they were even better last season without him, and they've not missed a beat starting off very well this year. Also remember the Nuggets don't have JR Smith, Wilson Chandler, or Kenyon Martin. Those were key players for them. They got Ty Lawson who is one of the best up and coming point guards in the game. Nene, one of the more solid Centers. Andre Miller is still a good point guard. Gallinari who has the potential to be one of the best scorers in the game. Al Harrington, another guy who is still a good scorer. A lot of good role players like Chris Anderson, Arron Afflalo, Rudy Fernandez, Corey Brewer, ect. They have a very good roster up and down.
Can the Bulls beat any team in the West? Sure, just like there are a half-dozen Western teams who can beat the Bulls in a 7-game series.
Which is more or less what I said, but I think the Bulls would have to be favored against the majority of teams coming out the West. And a 'half dozen' teams is pushing it. Name the 6 teams out West who have a legit shot to beat the Bulls 4 out of 7.
The West has ten teams over .500, the East has six. The West as a whole still has more talent, though I agree the gap is closing. Can the Bulls beat any team in the West? Sure, just like there are a half-dozen Western teams who can beat the Bulls in a 7-game series.
There is a BIG difference between "Can" and "Likely".
Wow, the Lakers would be out of the playoffs if the season ended today. How lucky for them it doesn't.
Is something going on with Bynum? He is still putting up decent numbers but nowhere near what he was doing in the first 6-7 games. Is he tired already? Hurt? Just coincidence?
Which is more or less what I said, but I think the Bulls would have to be favored against the majority of teams coming out the West. And a 'half dozen' teams is pushing it. Name the 6 teams out West who have a legit shot to beat the Bulls 4 out of 7.
Yeah, half-dozen is an exaggeration; I took your earlier post to mean Miami is the only team the Bulls have to worry about on the way to a Finals trophy, but I misread it.
Is something going on with Bynum? He is still putting up decent numbers but nowhere near what he was doing in the first 6-7 games. Is he tired already? Hurt? Just coincidence?
Not sure exactly, I haven''t seen the last few Lakers games. I think they're in a transitional period as these guys are having to learn an entirely new system.
Personally I think there's some lingering chemistry concerns on that team, for the past 4 years Pau has been the consistent number 2 but a healthy Bynum is now challenging for that role. I think going forward the Lakers should consider maybe trading off Pau for a decent point guard, Fisher is gritty but no longer starting material and really hasn't been for a few years now.
Problem is they screwed up bigtime trading away Odom. I think they'd have been better off keeping him, and then getting a star PG in return for Gasol. Giving them a lineup of *insert good PG*, Kobe, Barnes, Odom, and Bynum. I think they'd be faring better than they are now. I think I read elsewhere here( and I tend to agree) that Kobe is doing what he can to reinsert himself into the upper,upper tier of the league( people were calling for his demise after last season, ESPN had him out of the top 5) that he's going to burn himself out before long, particularly if he has to cover the quicker PGs due to Fisher's inability to. The Lakers, even in the early 2000's, were always vulnerable to slashing, scoring point guards and that's an even greater concern now for them. It only puts pressure on their interior defense.
Edited to say I think they also screwed up taking Brown over Shaw. Not sure what the rationale was at the time, but Shaw would have continued with the triangle, so at least there would have been some continuity even after Phil left.
Yeah, half-dozen is an exaggeration; I took your earlier post to mean Miami is the only team the Bulls have to worry about on the way to a Finals trophy, but I misread it.
Not the 'only' team, no, just that I don't think they'll have a greater challenge from anyone out West. If they can get past the Heat in a playoff matchup, I think you'd have to consider them a favorite against whoever is coming out of the East. Their defense and depth keeps them in games even when the offense isn't clicking; easiest way to describe it is they 'grind out' and outlast you. Doesn't always make for pretty ball, but there's no style points in Basketball.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
