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I like the Bulls chances this year. I figure Jimmy Butler will do great as starting SG. The team will have a size matchup advantage at every position most nights. Butler @ 6'7" bigger than most SGs and Deng at 6'9" bigger than most SFs.
The team is in a good age window with none of the core over 32, other than Nazr Mohammed, but still the team is old enough to have good experience factor. Deng, Noah, and Taj are all 28 now, so they are well-experienced. They are known for defense, but with Rose, Butler, Deng, & Boozer, have lots of offensive firepower too.
They lost a lot of bench guys, but the bench still has a nice balance with Heinrich, Dunleavy, and Gibson. The one obvious weakness is lack of center depth. I don't know if they can pick up a 3rd center at this point, but they definitely need one.
My main worry about the Spurs and age is Tony Parker. He's been the guy that entered his prime while TD and Manu declined, and his decline shouldn't be too far off.
TD is obviously not in his prime, but in today's league of weak frontcourts he's more than serviceable. Manu, on the other hand, has been a liability since 2009 in my opinion. And I like him a lot as a person, but he's single-handedly costed us more series' than he has won us recently.
I do laugh when I think about how people called the Spurs old back in 2003, though.
San Antonio, OKC (with Westbrook healthy can't believe I'm saying that), Indiana, Miami, Chicago (with a healthy D-Rose) are the only legit title contenders.
Knicks, Nets, Grizzlies, Clippers, Lakers, Rockets, Warriors can make deep runs, but each team has a flaw and need a whole lot breaking their way (with a major injury to 1 of the key players on a team listed above included) to win that championship.
The other handful of teams will be lucky to become 4-0 fodder to one of the top tier teams in the first round of the playoffs. Can we get the first round back to best out of 5 please??
I would add Indiana and the Knicks. As a former New Yorker I am partial to the Knicks. Don't laugh they will be the surprise team
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdm2008
Bulls, Heat, Miami, Spurs, Clippers and Brooklyn
Can you tell me how Brooklyn or the Knicks are serious title contenders?? The Nets season is going to be a disaster, imo, with a rookie coach with an old team in serious win NOW mode. The Knicks won't be as good next year. 3rd/4th in the East, Atlantic division winners, but in a conference with Miami, Indiana, and Chicago, that's not going to cut it. I'll consider the Knicks season a total success if they make the conf finals.
San Antonio, OKC (with Westbrook healthy can't believe I'm saying that), Indiana, Miami, Chicago (with a healthy D-Rose) are the only legit title contenders.
Knicks, Nets, Grizzlies, Clippers, Lakers, Rockets, Warriors can make deep runs, but each team has a flaw and need a whole lot breaking their way (with a major injury to 1 of the key players on a team listed above included) to win that championship.
The other handful of teams will be lucky to become 4-0 fodder to one of the top tier teams in the first round of the playoffs. Can we get the first round back to best out of 5 please??
Agree 1000%. I am tired of people saying teams like the Knicks, Clippers and Nets are contenders. Just because you win a lot of regular season games doesn't mean you can contend.
I think some of the people selling the Bulls short don't realize how short-handed they've been in the playoffs due to injury and illness.
Both Chicago and OKC have had bad luck with key injuries....that could happen to any of the other teams as well. Injury luck is a big big factor.
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