NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Andy Sheets]

Uhhhhh, well, I love Van Gundy's commentating, especially when he's making Mark Jackson look stupid, but he's snorting something there. From what I've seen, the Rockets right now would have trouble winning even one playoff series, much less winning the whole conference. Their chemistry looks bad, they don't have a legitimate back-up for Yao (they're hoping they can resign Mutombo but Mutombo's been making coy statements about signing with Boston), and I'm not sure if McGrady will ever be near healthy this season (or the remainder of his career). The pieces are there, and there's still a lot of season left for them to come together, but I'm just not feeling it from them this season.

 

[Ockeghem]

Andy,

I don't know much about Mutombo's mindset. How would he feel about being a bench player? I can't really see him in any other role with Boston, at least not this year.

 

[Andy Sheets]

Mutombo's been a bench player the past few seasons. In fact, at the time Yao went down last year, I don't think Mutombo had played a minute all season but after he started playing the team's defense and rebounding actually got better (not surprising since Yao is simply too huge and ponderous to ever be truly elite in those areas). Mutombo these days is more about mentoring young players and hopefully winning a ring, not in trying to be a star.

 

[Ockeghem]

Andy,

I'd love to see a second-string rebounder on the Celtics with the capabilities of a Mutombo. Your remarks about his 'coy statements about signing with Boston' actually was news to me. I hadn't heard anything of this. But now, I must say I am intrigued. I'd love to see Boston make a major deal this year, perhaps over the next two or three months (kind of like Gasol coming to the Lakers). I don't think Boston is very strong after their first six or seven men; I'd love to see them strenghthen their team with another quality player, especially in the arena of a defensive specialist.

 

[Ockeghem]

This is quite amazing. Three games have gone into overtime tonight, and two of these are in double overtime as I type this. New Jersey defeated Charlotte in OT, and Houston looks like it's going to hold off Utah in 2OT. The other game (Memphis / San Antonio) has just began their second overtime (currently tied at 99-99).

Houston defeats Utah in 2OT, 120-115; and San Antonio defeats Memphis, 106-103 in 2OT. Whew!

 

[Ockeghem]

The Cavaliers won (they defeated the Heat); the Lakers appear to have their game against the Warriors well in hand; and for some reason, the Celtics just defeated the Kings by forty-five points in Sacramento. Hmmm.

 

[Ockeghem]

I read the other day that the day after New Year's Day was the first time the NBA's thirty teams all played on the same evening. Fifteen games were scheduled, and there sure were a lot of highlights.

Well, Mutombo has been resigned by the Rockets. I think I'd like to see Marbury come to the Celtics. Boston needs to improve their bench, and I don't believe Rivers -- and esp. Garnett et al. -- would tolerate negativity from Marbury. And if he decided not to accept his new role, they could release him in a heartbeat without too many consequences. I think it's a gamble worth taking at this point. But the Knicks have to let him go, and Marbury has to agree to the terms, of course. I have a good feeling about this possibility, mostly because of Marbury's reactions when asked about coming to Boston, and more importantly -- Garnett's positive reaction, which speaks volumes considering their relationship when both were with Minnesota.

ESPN - Sources: Marbury, Celtics interested in deal

Garnett's thoughts:

ESPN - Stephon Marbury says he would love to be reunited with Kevin Garnett

 

[Andy Sheets]

I hope Mutombo's signing energizes the Rockets because they're in a freefall right now. The team has absolutely no leadership and no chemistry, and there's no telling when everyone's going to get healthy again.

 

[Ockeghem]

The Celtics have lost five of seven games. Last night, they lost in overtime. One of the players for the Bobcats was trash-talking the Celtics after the game. Oh how I'd love for Boston to play Charlotte in the playoffs this year.

The Lakers also lost at home. It's going to be an interesting race all year to see who will end up with the league's best record. It should be fun.

We've got Houston tonight, and Cleveland on Friday. If the Celtics somehow won both of those games, I think their recent skid might be forgiven. But I see them going 1-1 at best over the next three nights.

 

[Ockeghem]

For my birthday I received:

Boston Celtics: The Complete History (seven discs)
Larry Bird: A Basketball Legend (two discs)
2007-2008 NBA Champions (one disc)
1985-1986 NBA Champions: Sweet Sixteen (five discs)

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been rereading A Pictorial History of Basketball (Bill Gutman). In it, I learned (and much to my surprise) that the Celtics basketball team began around 1912. This isn't the same iteration of the team that I have come to know and love from the 1950s onward. (By this I mean it's really not the same 'entity' as that which would follow some several years later.) It's an earlier iteration of a team that has little to do with the team that eventually ended up in Boston. But it is fascinating history nevertheless. And seeing the photographs of players from that team (ca. 1912-1920-ish) is quite impressive.

Well, a tough game tonight in Cleveland. I will be very surprised to see the Celtics defeat the Cavs at home. But it sure would be nice to hand Cleveland its first home loss of the season....

 

[Ockeghem]

The next couple of weeks in the NBA could be quite telling. There is a lot of Cleveland / Orlando / L. A. action that I'm really curious about seeing. Some of these teams play each other, and none of them have an easy schedule. Boston doesn't play these teams in the near future, but they (the Celtics) are also coming up to a tough part of their schedule. And if they hope to compete for the overall, they will have to step it up a notch or two, especially defensively. Orlando is really a tough team--perhaps an elite team, which I think will become somewhat clearer over the next month or so.

Ockeghem's (partial) Power Rankings:

1: Cleveland Cavaliers (6)
2: L. A. Lakers (6)
3: Boston Celtics (9)
4: Orlando Magic (8)
6: New Orleans (12)
6: San Antonio (12)

Addendum: I believe that Cleveland's first home loss will come at the hands of either the Hornets (this week) or the Lakers (Feb. 8). I suppose the Pistons could pull off an upset there, too.

 

[Ockeghem]

The Lakers lost last night, and tonight the Cavaliers lost. Tomorrow night, the Cavs play the Hornets at home; I can't decide now if Cleveland will be up for the game or flat. From my perspective, it would be great to see the Cavs lose two in a row.

Lebron James really looked off tonight. The announcers said he was ill, and I think it showed. He missed twelve shots in a row from the early third quarter to the end of the fourth quarter. Still, when he took the final shot before the eventual overtime to win it for the Cavs, I thought for certain that it was going to go in.

The Magic play the Lakers tomorrow night, so one of those teams has got to lose. The loss columns of the top four teams are looking very interesting these days. I will be pulling for the Magic in that game, obviously.

The Celts play the second game of a home-and-home with the Nets on Saturday. Although Boston blew them out yesterday (by more than thirty points), this is the same Nets team that has defeated Atlanta twice in succession this season, including once on Atlanta's home court. That Celtics - Nets game will be a lot closer than it was in Boston.

 

[Ockeghem]

Well, the Orlando Magic have arrived. Their win over the Lakers last night was one of their biggest wins in franchise history. They swept the Lakers for the first time in team history, and in sweeping the Spurs as well, this team has shown many that they can play very well on the road.

Bryant had a triple-double last night, but Howard outplayed Bynum, and Nelson's three-pointers (and Turkoglu's) came at the right time. I think it is safe to say that the Magic are at least as physical as the Celtics and Cavaliers, and all three are, generally speaking, more physical than the Lakers. I believe that this will spell the difference come playoff time. For me, it's a bit unfortunate that some pairing of the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Magic will very likely have to play each other to get to the finals.

I would not be surprised to see the Nuggets defeat Orlando tonight (in Denver); it's the second game of a back-to-back for the Magic, and they have to be somewhat spent after that victory over the Lakers.

I'd like to see the Rockets defeat the Heat tonight in Houston. I'd also like to see the Hornets bounce back against the Pistons, although I don't know how likely that will be in Detroit.

Monday's games look very interesting, with the Suns making their lone regular-season visit to Boston, and the Cavaliers visiting the Lakers for the only time this year as well. I will actually be pulling for the Lakers in that game. Los Angeles will be trying to snap their two-game skid, and with a win, the Lakers and Cleveland would be tied in the loss column (8); if the Magic survive against Denver tonight, all three teams would at that point have the same number of losses (8).

The Celtics have four tough games ahead of them. Only one is at home (Phoenix), while the other three are against New Jersey (today), and Miami and then Orlando(!) (next week). The Magic will be very well-rested when Boston visits them next Thursday evening.

Ockeghem's Power Rankings:

1) Cleveland Cavaliers (7)
2) Orlando Magic (8)
3) L.A. Lakers (8)
4) Boston Celtics (9)

6) San Antonio Spurs (13)
6) New Orleans Hornets(13)
7) Denver Nuggets (13)

Phoenix
Portland

 

[Ockeghem]

Well, so much for my belief that the Magic may have been 'spent' after their victory over the Lakers. Their game with Denver wasn't even close. And I just learned that the Magic at the moment have the highest percentage for wins (6 out of 7) on the second game of a back-to-back of any team in the league. This is one excellent team, and one that is getting better and stronger each game.

Orlando vs. Denver - Recap - January 17, 2009 - ESPN

I don't like the Magic having four days of rest before Boston visits them. I hope the Celtics give them a good game, but I think Orlando will hold serve on their home court, much as Boston did earlier in the season when they played the Magic. And Boston will be playing the second of a back-to-back in Florida--something the Lakers had some trouble with last month, going 0-2 while there.

What's up with the Pistons these days? I hope they can put together their chemistry a bit more as the second half of the season is now beginning. Sometimes they look great, and at other times they still look a bit uncomfortable with each other out there. And speaking of the second half of the season, Boston is going to need a negative split in order to get the overall, because 64-18 just isn't going to be good enough, in my opinion.

Have a peek at some of the excellent matchups that are scheduled over the next few weeks: Cleveland - Lakers, Utah - Houston, Cleveland - Portland, Boston - Orlando, Cleveland - Utah, Orlando - Miami, San Antonio - Lakers, Cleveland - Orlando, Boston - Detroit, Cleveland - Detroit, Lakers - Celtics, and Lakers - Cleveland.

 

[mattCR]

What's scary is that Lebron is turning into a -really- solid defender. If he keeps progressing this way, it's scary how good his career will be.

 

[Ockeghem]

Agreed. I think he is heads above Kobe, and I also think there are other players in the NBA better than Kobe. But I don't think there is anyone much better than LeBron James. He's good at both ends, and he's young and getting much better.

 

[Ockeghem]

I'm scratching my head, trying to figure out how Boston is up by thirty points at halftime (64-34) against a fairly decent Phoenix Suns team.... Shaq doesn't appear to be doing that poorly, and Nash is among the leaders (second) in assists.

I'm really looking forward to the third game of TNT's triple header (Cleveland / Lakers). It's one of those very rare times that I am rooting for Los Angeles (for reasons of the all-important loss column). I also rooted for the Cowboys against the Ravens during the regular season, but that was because a Cowboy win would have benefited the New England Patriots.

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Catching up here...

I'm happy that Shaq is playing well, but it's also ironic that it's to the detriment of that team. He's turned back the clock, but he isn't the most dominating player in the game anymore. The rest of the Suns roster isn't at its best playing half court offense, feeding the ball to Shaq everytime, and having him clog the lanes. They're wasting the last years of Nash's brilliance, and making Stoudemire--arguably the best blend of physicality and finesse in an offensive big man--into a redundant player on far too many possessions. And contrary to the mainstream media's unexamined non-sense, the Suns are NOT a better defense team after kicking out D'Antoni. They are significantly worse. Under D'Antoni, the Suns typically had an average defensive efficiency. Now, they are among the worst teams (25th place).

I don't know if the Rockets have the personnel to be a legitimate contender either, even discounting the injuries. At this point, it's unclear if T-Mac is still an elite player without injuries; from the limited action I've seen him in, he still looks like a player of good court vision and passing ability (especially after penetrating), but his shot selection, or maybe just his shot making ability, has gone down significantly. I don't know how Houston fans like/dislike Artest so far, but sooner than later, Kings fans discovered him to be an offensive black hole, chucking up long jumpers. I thought his defense in Sacto clearly slipped from his Indy days, when he was a frightening defensive force. And then there's Rafer Alston as the starting PG...

As a Laker fan, it's very clear to me that Lebron is the best player in the game. Kobe, Paul, D-Wade, and Howard are the contenders for second place, and I could see arguments arranging them in any order. Dirk and Duncan probably headline the next tier of best players in my book.

 

[Andy Sheets]

Well, I think if T-Mac was healthy he certainly would be an elite player, but right now you can't expect him to ever be fully healthy again. He just hasn't been the same since he hurt his knee, and he also has shoulder surgery he's putting off until after the season. Right now, I think the Rockets' plan is to keep him until his contract expires in 2010 (some say he should be traded but I don't think they can get fair value for him) and hopefully resign him to significantly reduced contract while they use the cap room to go after one of the major free agents on the market, someone who can take over the duty of leading the team while T-Mac transitions to a support role.

Artest has done okay but he hasn't been healthy either. He's also been forced to start more games because of Battier's ongoing rehab, which in turn prevents his own injury from healing. It's just a colossal mess, with the injured list having a revolving door on it. Anyway, he's definitely a black hole but I think that's not as much of a concern if he's leading the second unit, which is his intended role, not being a starter and jacking up a 3 while Yao is wide open under the basket.

 

[Ockeghem]

Well, that was an impressive defensive game for Boston tonight on the road against Orlando. The Celts held them to a season low 80 points, and also held them below their average for three-pointers. Something didn't seem quite right tonight in this game. The Magic that were on the floor didn't resemble anything like the team that had won seven straight and had just completed a 4-0 west coast trip.

Tomorrow, the Cavaliers play Golden State, and on Saturday, the Cavaliers play Utah while the Magic travel to ... Miami. I will, of course, be rooting for the Warriors, Jazz, and Heat.

Addendum: Almost every time Glen 'Big Baby' Davis took a 10-12 foot jumpshot (most notably in the second half), I cringed. I kept saying to myself, that that is not the shot we want him to take. But last night, he was hitting them like there was no tomorrow, and as a result had a season-high sixteen points. If he can shoot like that fairly consistently, the Celtics Green team (bench/second string) could be formidable enough to put much pressure on opposing defenses for a greater portion of games. It also brought the defense away from Garnett on a couple of occasions, and last night, Garnett made them pay.