NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread - Page 3

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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!

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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....

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

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.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

A good game last night between the Bobcats and the Lakers. I really thought that L.A. would pull it out, but when Bryant fouled out, it was pretty much over.

Charlotte has won five of the last six times vs. the Lakers. They also own wins over the Celtics (and now the Lakers) in overtime this year. L.A. still has to play Charlotte again later in the year (in Charlotte), as does Boston (in Boston).

From the interesting stat department-- Only two current NBA franchises have winning records (overall) against the Lakers: Charlotte and Boston.

Brian Scalabrine (a name that Hubie Brown needs to hear so that he can pronounce it correctly ) suffered his second concussion in three days. He is expected to be out about a week. He went up for a rebound in practice and collided with Patrick O'Bryant. I'm thinking both wanted to show Doc Rivers that they should keep their current jobs.

Boston Celtics' Brian Scalabrine out with another concussion - ESPN

There is a huge slate of games tonight in the NBA, but it's tomorrow night's game between the Cavs and Magic (in Orlando) that I'm really looking forward to watching. Thankfully, that one is being televised. I predict an Orlando win (they need it more than Cleveland). We'll see.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

Here's a very interesting article on what one writer (Tim Legler, who is also a former NBA player and current shooting instructor) thinks makes a great natural shooter. The mechanics are fascinating to read about. He also gives some insight into how a work ethic can augment one's gifts, but asserts that great shooters are born, and that these abilities are not learned.

Daily Dime: Best shooters in the NBA - NBA - ESPN

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

Kirk,

Didn't anyone ever tell you that basketball is a non-contact sport?

Scalabrine will be out 7-10 days because of the two concussions he received within three days.

Thanks for the Basketball Reference site. I'm pleased that Nash (one of my all-time favorite players) and Nowitzki--someone else I really enjoy watching on the court--are on that chart. I really hold in very high regard players that can shoot 90% or better from the charity stripe.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

Well, Cleveland made the final score look respectable, although the game was not that close. The Magic's lead grew to twenty-five points midway through the fourth quarter--a quarter in which they began by outscoring the Cavaliers 22-2. Wow.

The quest for the best overall record is beginning to look very interesting at this point:

Boston (38-9)
Cleveland (35-9)
Los Angeles (35-9)
Orlando (35-10)

Also within striking distance are New Orleans and San Antonio, each with 14 losses at this point. That division is (and will be) very hotly contested.

This year could bring us three, and possibly four(!) teams with more than sixty wins. I don't think that four (how about three?) has ever happened before, but I haven't checked.

Boston is 0-1 against Los Angeles (with one game remaining with them); Cleveland is 0-1 against Los Angeles (with one game remaining with them); Orlando is 2-0 against Los Angeles (season series completed); Boston is 1-1 against Cleveland (with two games remaining with them); Orlando is 1-0 against Cleveland (with two games remaining with them); and Boston is 2-0 against Orlando (with two games remaining with them).

I think it is really important for the Cavaliers and the Celtics to hold serve against the Lakers when they visit next week.

And how is this for a nightmare schedule? I thought the Pacers had it bad earlier in the year, but it turns out that the Knickerbockers have the Celtics, Lakers, and Cavaliers in succession (M-W-F) around the corner. Yikes.

Any team not finishing in the East as the top seed will most likely have to play two of the other 'big three' teams--not something to look forward to, for sure. Something else that is interesting is that many of these matchups occur in the next few weeks (Orlando-Cleveland; Boston-L.A.; Cleveland-L.A., etc.).

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

Lakers fans--

Sorry to hear the news about Bynum. But he's quite optimistic that he'll be ready around the 8-12 week point (preferably sooner), and was pleased that it wasn't more serious than this. Here's hoping he has a successful recovery.

Speaking of L.A., they're playing really well against the Knicks. I wish I could watch that fourth quarter. Bryant is on fire--46 points through three quarters.

The Magic have lost at home (by 10 points) to the Mavericks. Hmmm.

Addendum: Kobe Bryant breaks the Madison Square Garden single-player record with 61 points! Wow. Congratulations to he and the Lakers (and Laker fans) on a fine win.

Re: NBA 2008-09 Regular Season Discussion Thread

Well, congratulations to all Lakers fans! That was some game, especially the second half and overtime. I loved seeing how jubilant the Lakers were at winning in Boston. It certainly meant something to them to get this win.

It was somewhat of an odd game for me to gauge during the first half. Both teams were shooting poorly, and there really wasn't a 'rhythm' I could pigeonhole. I thought each team had the momentum at different times. And then there were times when neither team could throw the ball in the ocean.

Man, that must have been the longest ten minutes of Garnett's basketball life, after having fouled out.... At this point in the season, I give the edge to the Lakers (as the best team in the NBA). They are having an incredible road trip (5-0 thus far). I really did not think they would have this great of a trip. I'm almost thinking that they will defeat Cleveland on Sunday now.

BTW, I retract what I said earlier about LeBron being heads above Kobe. Tonight, Kobe was unconscious for a few minutes in the fourth quarter. I was sitting there, admiring what a great talent he is, and realizing that I may have been a bit hasty when I wrote that the other day.