Random NBA Discussion 2013-14 Season

[Andrew]

I know it's early in the season but the east is looking bad. You know it's bad when the Washington Wizards are ranked 3rd in the East and only the Heat & Pacers are over .500

It's atrocious. It's been the weaker Conference for some time of course but it's usually been more respectable than this.

[Mandich]

It's funny how the East is terrible, Even more funnier that New York and Brooklyn sturggling in the obviously weaker conference. Yet some people considered them title contenders. Pathetic.

[Andrew]

On paper, it wasn't absurd to expect both teams to at least be performing better. Of course, that doesn't mean much once the season begins. Injuries certainly haven't helped the Nets and it's not going to get any easier for them, now that Pierce is out as well.

[_Steve_]

I agree with Andrew. Both team lost key players to injuries. And the Knicks also added Bargniani which should count as an injury to the whole Knicks team.

[atlwarrior]

I agree with Andrew. Both team lost key players to injuries. And the Knicks also added Bargniani which should count as an injury to the whole Knicks team.

Their struggles got even worst when Tyson Chandler got injured.

Edit: Bargnani was not a bad addition to their team. His numbers have been pretty solid. You just need a Tyson Chandler to make up for his lack of rebounding. But he helps spread the floor on the offensive end.

[_Steve_]

Bargniani can spread the floor for sure, but having him and 'Melo on the floor together doesn't work for the Knicks. As it's already been said, you need a defensive big to pair with each of them. Together 'Melo and Bargniani are just horrible...

[Mandich]

I don't know what Bargnani you guys watched, but the Knicks are absolutely terrible with him and Anthony on the floor.

[_Steve_]

I don't know what Bargnani you guys watched, but the Knicks are absolutely terrible with him and Anthony on the floor.

That's what I've just said, isn't it?!

[SoF'nAwesome]

Screw all these other teams. I'm going with Portland this year

[NovU]

Bargniani can spread the floor for sure, but having him and 'Melo on the floor together doesn't work for the Knicks. As it's already been said, you need a defensive big to pair with each of them. Together 'Melo and Bargniani are just horrible...

Indeed. This is all to funny because Bargnani is actually having nearly a career season, lol.

[Stress Fracture]

0/10 3FG for Harden today. Props to Tucker for the good D on him.

[benji]

https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status ... 4241156096

[benji]

Also, Based Andre

[shadowgrin]

https://twitter.com/trailblazers/status/408327384241156096

https://twitter.com/Suns/status/408331262563057664

[SoF'nAwesome]

Hilarious stuff. Who actually does the tweeting though?

Mike Scanlan ‏@TheMikeScanlan 14h

@trailblazers @Suns you both suck. Go @Sixers

Probably shadowgrin.

[Andrew]

Someone in marketing/PR, I would assume.

[YaoKnowWhat_I_Ming]

Just for funsies, ideas on to stop from teams tanking and a way to fix the playoff system?

[_Steve_]

It's often been said these days, one thing to keep teams away from tanking would be to change the draft lottery system. If all teams would have equal chances to win the lottery, tanking wouldn't make sense.
I'm not fond of that idea, but I also have no idea how to avoid seasons like that one we witness now.

A way to fix the playoff system would be to implement some "european system" and eliminate the conferences/divisons, so that only 16 best teams in the league would compete against each other in the playoffs. But that won't happen during my lifetime.

[SoF'nAwesome]

I admit it is a fact that the East is shit atm but it wouldn't have been like that if Nets, NYK & Cavs performed as per expectations. Washington & Pistons on top of that would have made the East look good even if not as much as the West. Then again, breakouts like Trailblazers don't make the East look good.

But when Pelicians(9-9) rank 10th in their conference & Wizards(9-9) rank 3rd in their conference with the same record I can understand why you all would like to see the European System that Steve is talking about.

[Andrew]

I don't know that tanking is genuinely a big problem. At some point, most teams are going to have to rebuild and go through some hard times. It's not as though the teams that are supposed to be tanking, like the Celtics and Sixers, are going out there and trying to lose games on purpose. If so, they're doing a bad job of it, or their players are flat out refusing to abide by the memo.

As for the Playoff structure, I guess the easiest solution would be to scrap the Conference brackets and just seed the teams with the top sixteen records in the league. I think it's worth keeping in mind that the discrepancy isn't usually this bad, though. Some significant injuries have played a role in the Eastern Conference being historically bad, so while things are going to be pretty ugly this year, I don't think it's the season you base sweeping changes upon.

[NovU]

Tanking exists heavily because it is one of the best way to build the team though.

If you want to get rid of tanking and make all teams fight at their true best, I think you need better balance in entire system which heavily involves lotto and rookie contract system. Give equal chances to the all non-playoffs teams at lotto, and make rookies harder to keep by shortening rookie scale contract years. Under the new CBA, it's pretty tough to keep all the talents on one roster anyway so let young players decide where they want to go (say after their sopho season). Teams with bad salary management won't be able to afford good players anyway, and teams still get their chance to commit to that player. in meantime, because the young players still at their development stage can walk and sign with any team that they want, this would make a lotto bit less relevant in building a successful team. Basically shift the balance from lotto to smart team management.

Won't happen, but just my two cents.

[Andrew]

Not all teams are going to be equal though. Teams are going to go through rebuilding and transitional phases and that will occasionally mean blowing everything up and starting over. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Even the teams that are fielding lineups that are supposedly intended to tank are still going out there and trying to win games, so they're still competing. If we have an instance of a team intentionally losing games then you could perhaps penalise them by barring them from getting a top three pick but aside from that, I think the problem of tanking is somewhat overblown.

[benji]

The whole complaining about tanking is stupid, what the fuck do you care if some team is tanking? Yeah, let's punish bad teams by making them worse, sure it won't stop teams from being bad, but we'll felt like we upheld some moronic standard! Yay us! Fuck you long term strategies!

The playoffs should have been reseeded by wins alone years ago because who gives a shit about arbitrary "geographical" (just don't ask the Timberwolves!) divisions?

If you want to get rid of tanking and make all teams fight at their true best, I think you need better balance in entire system which heavily involves lotto and rookie contract system. Give equal chances to the all non-playoffs teams at lotto, and make rookies harder to keep by shortening rookie scale contract years. Under the new CBA, it's pretty tough to keep all the talents on one roster anyway so let young players decide where they want to go (say after their sopho season). Teams with bad salary management won't be able to afford good players anyway, and teams still get their chance to commit to that player. in meantime, because the young players still at their development stage can walk and sign with any team that they want, this would make a lotto bit less relevant in building a successful team. Basically shift the balance from lotto to smart team management.

How would this stop tanking?

Putting all the non-playoff teams in the lottery still means you have to miss the playoffs. Why not just do the draft completely randomly? Who cares if a good team gets the number one pick, at least they didn't tank! Look how much people loved it when the Lakers got Worthy! And the Celtics got McHale!

Losing players faster to other teams wouldn't change anything. Overpaying players is one reason you have to tank in the first place, because you have no other options.

[NovU]

This "Must.. Stop.. Tanking.." voice exists for healthy reasons. Mostly because it turns people off and it's not a bad idea to encourage teams to compete at the highest level they can. It's reasonable and understandable.

Did you enjoy watching Celtics games where they sat completely healthy Pierce? Have you ever thought about pain and suffering his fantasy owners had to go through? Have some heart, geez.

How would this stop tanking?

Putting all the non-playoff teams in the lottery still means you have to miss the playoffs.

Because either you make it or not this way rather than gunning for fewest wins possible. Either you make the playoffs and earn more business or at least die trying getting as many wins as possible because more losses means nothing, not even a better shot at pick. (I am not saying it is an absolute solution but I think it could be an improvement over what we have right now, system where you're forced to rely most heavily on draft to rebuild thus tanking's heavily encouraged)

And your suggestion of completely doing random lotto is even more rubbish. It could entirely destroy the balance. At least bit of separation between good and bad teams wouldn't hurt.

[benji]

Except this assumes all teams have an equal chance of making the playoffs, they don't. If you take a team that best case, hardest working, play all the veterans, never give up, never surrender can win 25 games, and they wind up with the 14th pick, what's the fucking point? Entire season wasted and they're supposed to do it again? Wouldn't they AND the league be better off with them playing young guys and d-leaguers, winning 15 games, guaranteeing a top four pick and adding more talent? (While those veterans can scrape onto superior teams improving the high level play of the playoffs!)

The draft is the only "balance" system that exists and you can still fuck that up by taking Oden over Durant or Olowokandi over Maceo Baston as much as you can get lucky and in two or three years stock yourself back to the playoffs.

It's just another obsessive wankfest over what "proper sporting culture" should be where you're supposed to sacrifice your best interests at the alter of some nonexistent unspecific higher moral plane. It's nonsense.