Seasons at half-way mark already...well- nearly!

[Fresh8]

I'm surprised that we're nearly half way through the NBA season....most teams have played around 38 games! So I guess I'm gonna start this topic....I want to hear bout your predictions and views about the rest of the season or maybe a review of the first half of the season about the team you're following....

I've been very surprised by the play of the Denver Nuggets- I knew they would be OK- maybe West 8th seed max but they're doin great now! If the playoffs started tomorrow they'd be about the 5th seed! I didn't expect Melo, Miller, Camby, Earl, Lenard and Nene to come together to deliver like this...

What I'm hating right now is the injuries for the Lakers!...actually I'm sorta lauging at the same time! The Rockets defence is great but their offence really stinks plus Franchise isn't playin that good...he's only averaging 18, 5 and 5!!! Noooo!

Where is Darko????? Thats what I want to know....plus Sam Cassel should be an All-star....Ray Allen has also surprised me...I never knew he could play an all-around game like hes havin now! And even though I don't like Bron...I have to admit he's pretty damn good....I've also seen somewhere that Portland wants to trade Sheed for T-mac or somethin....

Anyway- here are my predictions for the next half of the season....

All-star Game

WEST:
C:Shaq (I'm not sure if him and Kobe will be at All-star game due to injuries...)
PF:Duncan
SF:KG
SG:Kobe
PG:Steve
6:Yao
7:Brand
8:Dirk
9:Marion
10:Allen
11:Cassell
12:Stojakavich

EAST:
C:Wallace
PF:O'neal
SF:Carter
SG:T-mac
PG:Iverson
6:Ilguskus
7:Artest
8:K-mart
9:Baron Davis
10:Paul Pierce
11:Kidd
12:Mashburn

Outcome: West win by a hell lot

AWARDS

MVP: KG, T-wolves
Defensive: Wallace, Pistonswon't win...)
MIP: Zach Rudolph, Blazers
ROY: Melo, Nugetsver makes play-offs)
6th man: Earl, Denver
Coach of the Year: Denver's Coach

Playoffs:
WEST
Timberwolves (1) vs. Utah (8)
Spurs (3) vs. Houston (6)
Lakers (4) vs. Dallas (5)
Kings (2) vs. Denver (7)

EAST
Indiana (1) vs. Philadelphia (8)
Detroit (3) vs. Toronto (6)
New Jersey (4) vs. Boston (5)
Hornets (2) vs. Milwaukee (7)

FINALS: Lakers vs. Indiana (Lakers win 4-2)

[-BHZMAFIA-]

when will the Grizz get their respect! Their gonna make the playoffs now since Utah dont have Harpring anymore cuz he is out for the season. The only team that can make it other than Memphis is Seattle and they are falling right now. So we have the 9th spot and Jazz are like .5 games ahead of us so if we win one and they lose one then we got the 8th spot.

Twolves will probably go to the Western Finals because of how well they are playing.

In the East I think if the Knicks start playing like the way they played tonight against Seattle then they can make it to the playoffs.
AWARDS

MVP: KG, T-wolves
Defensive: Big Ben
MIP: Zach Randolph, Blazers
ROY: Melo
6th man: Bonzi Wells
Coach of the Year: Denver or Memphis coach...All depends on who will get the best record

[Matt]

12:Mashburn

he won't make it, he wonts even play till after the All Star game

anyway, i think Sam Cassell is playing the best at the PG position than anyone else at the moment. He's turned himslef into a guy that can drop 30 on a regular basis, get his assists, and he's shooting 50%

[Andrew]

Things that have surprised me so far

Denver's play. I figured Carmelo would have an impact, but I still picked them to finish last in the West. They didn't look that great on paper, and they still don't. But they've been getting the job done.

Sacramento's play with C-Webb. Sacramento is one of the best teams in the league right now (if not the best), and they're doing it without Webber, who has been their annual representative in the All-Star game and their best player since he was traded from Washington back in 1998. Taking an optimistic point of view, things can only get better when a healthy Webber returns to the lineup. The more pessimistic prediction is that he'll disrupt the team's play and they'll falter trying to accommodate him.

LeBron living up to the hype. Given he's had an opportunity to produce, it's not surprising that he's putting up good numbers. But he's still putting up better numbers than most of us expected. I think I predicted 17, 5 and 5. I believe he's averaging about 20, 6 and 6 at present. The only knock against him is his team's record. For as good as he's looked individually, he still hasn't inspired the turnaround that some predicted. Still, it's not as though anyone was picking them to win the title this year.

The Chicago Bulls

I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed. I got my hopes up a little when Pippen returned and the Three Cs all looked like having great seasons. Crawford has been playing pretty well, but is still a little inconsistent. Hinrich is really starting to play well, and the trade didn't ruin the team as I thought it would. Part of me truly believed the Bulls would have a shot at the 8th seed this season, so I am disappointed to see them struggling. I'm hoping they'll be able to save face in the second half of the season.

Predictions

A no-brainer; the NBA Champions will come from the Western Conference. Lakers, Kings, or Spurs: those three are my picks.

The West will win the All-Star Game. Their size advantage will again successfully clog the lane while presenting the East with the same old challenge; plenty of size with plenty of talent that can get it done at both ends.

The Eastern Conference Champion will be Indiana or New Jersey.

Orlando will finish bottom of the league, but won't be fortunate enough to win the first pick in the 2004 draft.

Playoff Brackets:

East:
1. Indiana
2. New Jersey
3. Detroit
4. New Orleans
5. Milwaukee
6. Toronto
7. Boston
8. Philadelphia

I don't anticipate any changes in the East. I predict everyone will continue at the current pace, and none of the lottery bound teams will be able to crack the top eight.

West:
1. Sacramento
2. LA Lakers
3. Minnesota
4. San Antonio
5. Dallas
6. Houston
7. Denver
8. Utah/Seattle/Memphis

The Lakers will pick up steam once they're healthy again, but in the mean time Sacramento can build a comfortable lead in the standings. Minnesota and San Antonio will stay steady behind the Kings and Lakers. I'm predicting Dallas will remain top of the bottom four seeds, while Houston and Denver are probably interchangeable at 6 and 7; I'll pick Houston to stay ahead though.

The eighth seed will be interesting again this year. I really can't decide: Utah is at a disadvantage without Harpring, but are still slightly ahead of the Sonics and Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are having their finest season, and could easily take over the Sonics and Jazz if those teams falter. The Sonics are also still in there with a chance.

I can't pick an MVP...Randolph is surely the Most Improved Player. I think LeBron's stats will win him Rookie of the Year honours over Melo's team success. Ben Wallace has probably locked up the Defensive Player of the Year award for the third season in a row. I'll have to pass on Sixth Man and Coach of the Year predictions too.

[sliccat]

My Predictions for the 16 playoff teams.

East:
1. Detriot: Larry Brown was ment for this team, and they'll stay steadily very good. They'll keep dominating the teams that they should beat(lottery teams) and staying at least competitive with everybody else. They'll get deep into the playoffs, and are the only team in the east that could beat one of the west teams without pulling off a miracle.

2.Indiana: Yes, they've started out great. Yes, Ron Artest is keeping his temper under control. And yes, they'll still collapse on they're first major losing streak, which will come in early April and kill them in the playoffs. Reggie might get them past the first round, but not past that.

3. New Jersey: They'll just keep getting better and better, and will be the best team in the east, but they'll keep on losing to bigger west teams. Unless they can trade for a legitimate big man, they pose no threat to the west at all. And they won't do that, because it would break up their core group, and then they'd lose to the east teams. They'll

4. New Orleans: Baron is hot, and will stay that way, but they'll have to adjust to having Mash back, which will put them in a half court set more often, hurting Baron's production. I think they'd be better off trading Mash for an okay player and a draft pick, because he gets hurt too often, and they're doing great without him. They'll get beat in the first or second round of the playoffs(again).

5. Toronto: Unless Vince is seriously hurt this team is going to be one of the two X-factors in the east. They have a legitimate chance to go deep in the playoffs, but I just have a gut feeling this isn't their year. If they can get a good passing point guard to run their offense(Eric Snow, Mike Bibby, Jamal Tinsley), they're guaranteed to cause trouble next year. This year, It's one round and out. Sorry Vince.

6. Philidelphia: Welcome to team if. The other X-factor this year. If they can stay healthy, if AI and Big Dog can work to gether, if Eric Snow can successfully balance them, if their rookies continue to develop, and if Randy Ayers can get them to play with the defensive intensity that was their trademark, then they are a threat to go to the finals. If not, then they're a threat to miss the playoffs. Their main problem this year besides injuries has been intensity, and no player on this team will have a problem with that during the playoffs. I'll pencil them in for the second round, but the sky will fall before Philly will be injury free past that.

7.Boston: They'll be steadily at .500 during the season, but this team needs a point guard desperately. Pierce will drag the series out, but until they get a point guard like Darrell Armstrong, Bobby Jackson, or Kenny Anderson(yes, I know), they're not a threat to beat the top four teams in the east.

8.Milwaukee: Does anybody remember Doc Rivers' first season with Orlando when he won coach of the year? Terry Porter is doing the same thing, only better. This team, on paper, is garbage, but Terry Porter has given them one of the most vital ingrediants a team can have. Intisity(did I spell that right?). Still, I don't think it will last much longer, because at the end of the season, every other team has that too, and they'll be out of luck.



West:
1.Sacramento: CWebb will come back, and they'll just keep rolling. There's not much else to say about them. As long as LA and SA are 2nd or 3rd, They'll win it all this year, because they'll wear each other out.

2. Los Angeles: If anybody thinks I'm talking about the Clips, shut up. Point blank, this is the most talented team in the NBA. The problem is, is the sum of the parts greater than the whole thing? I think so, and they also don't have any bench at all. Unless Mevedenko steps up like Mark Madsen did last year, they'll be out in the second round again.

3. San Antonio: The Admiral is gone, and we all miss him, but if Timmy can lead the team in the locker room like David did, there shouldn't be a problem, except that they lost their X-factors in Manu and Jackson. Everybody is ready for Manu now, and Jackson went to Atlanta. Except that Tim will have the whole defense resting on his back now, without David to back him up. Execpt that Rasha can't trick Shaq the way that David and Tim could. Other than that they should be okay, right? Right?

4. Minnesota: The West's X-factor. KG will be the MVP this year and there's nothing anybody can do about it. Even if KG and Spree will be yelling more than the rest of the crowd put together, they still have everything needed to slip past the Kings and Spurs, if not the Lakers.KG is hungry. Cassell has two rings. Spree's been to the finals. Wally and Olawakandi...well...

5. Dallas: The biggest losers in the NBA. Offense wins games, defense wins championships. It's as simple as that. I almost hope they will go to the Finals, just so the east can win it. Face it, Detroit, Indiana, New Jersey, and New Orleans can all beat them, and Philly, Toronto, Boston, and Milwaukee all have a chance. Dallas and Minesota in the first round is almost a lock, and they're going to get killed.

6. Houston: Am I the only person who's been hugely disapointed by Jim Jackson this year? I expected him to average 12-17 ppg, 4-5 rpg, 2-6 apg, 1 spg, and provide leadership. He's done none of this, and in my mind, has been the biggest dissapointment this year. Keep in mind that the only reason I brought that up is because there isn't any thing else to talk about in Houston; every thing is pretty much the same as last year, except they're slightly better, and the teams that beat them out last year(Phoenix and Utah) are a whole lot worse. They'll be out in the first round unless they can pull off a Miracle and face Dallas.

7. Denver: They're too young, to soft and just not good enough to compete in the west they'll be another first round exit. They're two best players are Andre Miller and Carmelo Anthony, and there just isn't any experience at all. Marcus Camby went to the Finals once, but you can't win in the playoffs with a point guard who's never been to the playoffs before.

8. Utah: They'll beat out Memphis and Seattle, but those are the last victories they'll have over anybody in the west. Jerry Sloan's done a great coaching job, but they'll still be swept, because youth and talent can't beat old age and treachery, and they don't even have talent.


2003-04 Awards:

MVP: Kevin Garnet. He's the best in the west, and unless he's hurt or Tim goes on a tear, there's noby left who can beat him out.

Runner up: Tim Duncan

Most Improved: Zach Randolf. This guy is probably the best player on Rasheed Wallace's team. He's gone from be the X-factor to being the Factor.

Runners up: Jamal Crawford, Samuel Dalembert, Vin Baker

6th Man: Bobby Jackson. He's the quiet reason behind Sacramento's success. He's probably better than Mike Bibby, but his scoring would cause chemistry problems if he started.

Runners up: Aaron McKie, Darrell Armstrong, Earl Boykins

Scoring title: Allen Iverson

Assist: J-Kidd

Rebounds: Ben Wallace

Blocks: Ben Wallace

Steals: Allen Iverson

First team All-NBA
C:Shaquille O'neal
PF: Kevin Garnet
SF:Peja Stoakovic(I can't spell)
SG:Paul Pierce(the numbers will be too good all-around)
PG: Jason Kidd

Second team All-NBA
C: Ben Wallace
PF: Tim Duncan
SF:Shawn Marion
SG: Allen Iverson
PG: Baron Davis

Third Team All-NBA
C:Yao Ming
PF: Jermaine O'neal
SF:Ron Artest
SG: Kobe Bryant
PG: Steve Fransis

All NBA Defense
C:Ben Wallace
PF: Kevin Garnet
SF: Ron Artest
SG:Kobe Bryant
PG: Jason Kidd

Second All NBA Defense
C: Marcus Camby
PF:Tim Duncan
SF: Shawn Marion
SG: Allen Iverson
PG: Eric Snow

Most Disapointing Team: Chicago Bulls. Why aren't they in the playoff hunt? On paper, they might be the best team in the east. The best reason I can think of is that they need a passing PG. Jamal Crawford has great trade value right now, trade him for Jamal Tinsley, some draft picks, cash, and maybe put Eddie Robinson and Jonathan Bender in the mix. Better yet, let Scottie run point and have Jamal come off the bench to put Bobby Jackson out of the 6th man of the year spot. I it's just wrong to have both Jerome Williams and Bo Outlaw out of the playoffs the year, they're both great winners.

[Mikki]

great thread guys

keep 'em comin'...

[DipSetVC]

Excellent job making predictions Andrew and sliccat. I gotta hand it to you guys for giving the Raptors so much respect that they don't deserve. Their definitely the biggest underachievers in the East.

[1CenT]

I like sliccat's all nba first team
but that won't happen
KG and Duncan will be the forwards
Paul Pierce is struggling lately .. unless he starts shootin better percentage 2nd half the season.. he won't win his votes over Kobe/Tmac
JKidd should be on all nba first team.. he is the most dominating PG in awhile.

Do you guys think Kobe is a better defender or Pierce?
I personally think Pierce is 1 of the best wing stopper along with Artest...
I like Snow and Kidd for the top PG stoppers...
Kobe is a good defender.. but i never thought he was the top... Bowen will own all those 1 dimensional SGs (Allan Houston, Rip Hamilton)

[goldn2012]

the east is pathetic!
we all know that so picking the East Champ is the hardest prediction out of all of these. Mathmaticly Orlando is still in the playoffs and if they somehow make the 8th seed they could go to the finals with tmac. i think the 76ers will come out of the east because
iverson is iverson-nuthin more you can say
robinson is a solid jumpshooter who scores 20
dalembert is playin like a top 5 center in the east (pathetic east)
kenny thomas pulls down 10 rebounds a game
mckie is mr reliable
snow is a great defender who can shut down any east guard
korver+salmons are decent
if this team is healthy they could make a run then get swept

to what some people are sayin about the west destroying the east in the allstar game-remember 2001 when iverson and marbury (nj net) went crazy and the east won by 1. i know shaq duncan garnet kobe and me could demolish any team but they dont play major minutes so i would give the east more of chance

[fgrep15]

East:

1. Indiana: This team has been amazing, they have really put it together and I see them winning the East. Jonathan Bender has also returned and Jamaal Tinsley has worked his way back to the starting lineup and is also showing a new and improved shooting stroke. Bender is a versatile player that can help in the post and also play at the 3. Tinsley might go back to the bench on Anderson's return but has solidified himself as at least the 2nd PG in the rotation. Contrary to popular belief Indiana will not trade him unless they get another young PG in return, because Kenny Anderson (too old) is not part of their future. I see them being able to go far in the playoffs if they can keep the drive going and aren't cut short like last year.

2. New Jersey: Well the winner of the dissapointing division has to be 2nd in the Conference so New Jersey gets the honours. I don't see the same fate of the last 2 years for New Jersey this year, but they have been playing well as of late. They will make it to the second round and lose.

3. Detroit: They have been on an 11 game winning streak and are showing the league how to win with hard-nosed play and defense, but Indiana was also on a streak before losing to San Antonio. I see Detroit getting second and being behind Indiana by about 2 games. If they can continue to play as a team and if all their players step up they could go pretty far in the playoffs.

4. New Orleans: They were playing good but haven't been so hot as of late, the Hornets should pick it back up and win some games. The reinsertion of Mash into the lineup will hurt them temporarily, but if they get it together by playoff time the Raptors will be looking at a very difficult first round.

5. Toronto: They have also being playing good as of late an shutting other teams down with their defense allowing less than 90 points in 8 of their last 9 games including todays against the Hawks. VC is out but is scheduled to be back earliest on Monday, and Chris Bosh is also back after suffering a sparined knee. The Raptors will keep themslves above .500 for the rest of the season and with some win streaks will secure the 5th spot.

6. Milwauke: A team full of many underatted players, Milwauke will keep the push and excellent team play and make it as the 6th seed. They will suffer an early playoff exit with the lack of experince in their core players but will give a good fight to Detroit.

7. Philadelphia: With Pierce's temporary uncertian state, Philly will pass the Celtics right now in the standings and they will both maintain the same pace for the rest of the season. Philly will beat the Celtics by only a few game in the standings. Philly will have a hard fought series against the Nets and come out victoriuos but lose in the 2nd round to Detroit.

8. Boston: The Celts will continue at the same pace but will get contested by a hungry New York team. They will prevail by winning 6 of their 7 games in April beating GS, Washington, Miami, Loising to New Orleans, and beating Atlanta, Miami (again) and Atlanta again. They will suffer an unimpressive 1st round exit to Indiana and will get prepared for next season

Side Note: New York will be very close to Boston but their final 7 games will include games against New Jersey, Philly, Indiana and New Orleans, they are capable of winning most and beating out Boston but only time will tell.

Playoff Bracket:

First Round:

(1 vs 8) Indiana vs Boston: Indiana (4-1)

(2 vs 7) New Jersey vs Philly: Philly (4-3)

(3 vs 6) Detroit vs Milwauke: Detroit (4-2)

(4 vs 5) New Orleans vs Toronto: New Orleans/Raptors (4-3) Raps beat them without Carter so this could go the other way

Second Round:

(1 vs 7) Indiana (4-1) vs Philly (4-3): Indiana (4-2)

(3 vs 4) Detroit (4-2) vs New Orleans/Raptors (4-3): Detroit (4-3)

East Finals

(1 vs 3) Indiana (8-3) vs Detroit (8-5): Indiana (4-3)


West:

1. Sacremento: LA's mid season injury frenzy and Sacremento's unrelented attack plus Webber's return sky rockets Sac Town to the uncontested first seed.

2. Minnesota: Well we have two dividons and even though LA comes out with a slightly better record, Minnesota takes the second position by slightly edging out San Antonio in the Midwest. If KG does not win MVP then their is a conspiracy in the NBA ranks against the beast (also one of my fav players), and it should be investigated. The T-Wolves easily sweep the first round, the Big Three gives Sacremento a mighty battle and a run for their money in the second round.

3. LA Lakers: Medvedenko, Cook and Rush are showing that they can play when called upon to start and we all know Fisher can hit big shots, this could be a showing of an emerging Lakers bench. After all the injuries subside LA will continue its gloriuos championship run and command a good record. They will go into the playoffs and advance very far.

4. San Antonio: Minnesota slightly edges out the Spurs for the 2nd western seed and this might spell trouble, the Spurs beat Houston in the first round but have to go to LA in the second round where they are spanked by the mighty 4 in a hard fought playoff series.

5. Houston: Huh? Where did Dallas go. Houston comes out with hard defensive play and a new mind set and slightly overtakes Dallas in the ranks. They endure a first round exit and prepare for a new season.

6. Dallas: What happened, Dallas falls to sixth and have to face the mighty Lakers. Their horrible mentality of no defense and fire away causes them to continue the mid season slump which pulls them down and below Houston. They lose to the Lakers in the first round and return home to think about defense.

7. Denver: Well did anyone expect this? Even me as a Denver fan (second to Toronto), didn't expect a season like this. Coach of the year anyone, yes Bzdelik, Jerry Sloan and Terry Porter all command that award and Denver will come out as the west's seventh seed. Carmelo will tie with Lebron for the Rookie of the year but thats exactly what will be their downfall, Rookie. Denver will lose in 5 to the T-Wolves in the first round, while being torched and exploited by Garnett, Cassell and Spree.

8. Memphis: Utah has won 3 in a row, but wait who did they beat? Atlanta, GS and Miami, I don't know if those are impressive wins but Utah is still a team to watch out for. The loss of Harpring and the stress of Sloan will be the teams downfall, they will fall short of making the playoffs and the glorious streak will end . Memphis will beat out Seattle who just can't put it together and they'll suffer a disheartening first round exit.

Playoff Bracket:

First Round:

(1 vs 8) Sacremento vs Memphis: Sacremento (4-0)

(2 vs 7) Minnesota vs Denver: Minnesota (4-1)

(3 vs 6) LA Lakers vs Dallas: Lakers (4-2)

(4 vs 5) San Antonio vs Houston (4-1)

Second Round:

(1 vs 2) Sacremento (4-0) vs Minnesota (4-1): Minnesota (4-3)

(3 vs 4) LA Lakers (4-2) vs San Antonio (4-1): LA Lakers (4-2)

West Finals

LA Lakers (8-4) vs Minnesota (8-4): LA Lakers (4-3)


MVP: KG. Common who else can match this guys play, leads the league in Double Doubles, rebounds and is top 10 in scoring. He is a team leader on the offensive and defensive end what else do you want. Timmy gets beat by them man I felt should have also won it last year.

Most Improved: Randolph, the hope for the Blazers future, surround him with a young good point guard, a good defensive/ shot blocking center, and other complimentary players and he can do a lot.
Ronald Murray, Jamal Crawford and Micheal Redd come in close but Randolph's amazing play cuts them short.

Sixth Man: Bobby Jackson/ Earl Boykins. Both just as important in their teams success and can come into games and change the flow of the game and hit big shots for their teams. Bobby might just come out with this one.

Runners up: Aaron Mckie, Bonzi, Ricky Davis

Rookie of the Year: Tie Lebron and Melo with Wade coming in second. Lebrons stats and Melo's teams record give them the shared rookie of the year. Wade comes in close and Hinrich, Bosh, Howard and Hayes also get some votes.

Defensive player: Ben Wallace, there is nothing to say, just watch him play. No one else was close to his defensive dominance and Big Ben wins this by a large margin.

Coach of the Year Jeff Bzdelik takes it as Denver makes the playoffs.

Honourable Mentions: Jerry Sloan, Terry Porter and Hubie Brown

All Rookie first team: Wade, Melo, Anthony, Bosh, Hayes


All Rookie second team: Ford, Hinrich, Bogans, Howard, Kaman


All NBA First Team: Kidd, Kobe, KG, TD, Shaq

All NBA Second: Iverson, Pierce, Stojakovic, Ben Wallace

All NBA Third: Baron, Starbury, Carter, Marion, Jermaine Oneal

All Defensive First: Kobe, Christie, Kirelenko, KG, Ben

All Defensive Second: Kidd, Bowen, Artest, Duncan, Shaq

Honourable mentions: Eric Snow, Gary Payton, AI, Ratliff, Jermaine Oneal

[benji]

I'm just making a quick post on a few points before I head out, so I apologize for not getting indepth.

MIP - If Zach Randolph wins this it will be the nail in the coffin for awards for me. The name of the award is Most Improved Player, not Player Who Got The Biggest Increase In Minutes (PWGTBIIM Award)

DPOY: It is Tim Duncan. Wallace shouldn't have won it last year, Duncan should've. Duncan should win it again. Unfortunately everyone gets excited by Benji and votes for him.

All-Defense First Team: Duncan, Wallace, Garnett, Bowen, Kidd. Damn the positions and put Bowen in the backcourt, these are the five greatest defenders in the league. I'd put Snow instead of Bowen but he's not doing as well this year, Iverson missing for those games hurt him.

Sixth Man: Bobby Jackson is the best player off any bench.

ROY: Gotta be LeBron. He has no shot, but he's outshooting Carmelo. Forget the team record, this is an individual award.

In the second half of the year teams pick it up on both ends, so life could get tough for teams lacking in talent.

I suspect Dallas will break out of it's slump towards the end. It's almost impossible to keep playing that bad with a legit superstar. Also, "Offense wins games, defense wins championships." is not a defensible statement. Defense is half the game, offense is half. Dallas was 25th in defense about a week and a half ago, that was a steady climb from 28th a month ago. Meaning they are improving on that end. Don't forget the Lakers three years ago won the championship despite only being 19th on defense. I'm not saying Dallas will win it, as it's Sacramento's trophy to lose at this point but just be aware of things.

[Swoosh]

Ok here my predictions:

East:
1.Indiana: Currently the best team in the east without a doubt, it they dont lose composure i even give them a chance in the finals, this is a sport and anything could happen, i know the west is good but...(im a believer )
2.Detroit: Struggling at the beginning but have now pulled it together, Brown worked his magic, will give indy a though customer, win it all if milicic becomes a starter and becomes shaq II
3.NJ: Last of the three best teams in the east, but RJ en K-Mart have to be at their best otherwise they wont make it, lack of a C, no chance against a western team IMHO
4.New Orleans: Baron has gotta stop shooting, his stats are ridiculous, when mash returns very dangerous though,and Floyd proved he can coach
5.Milwaukee: Where the hell did they came from? Redd is an all star and Porter 2nd in COY
6. Boston: PP wil get them this far, but not any further
7. Philly: If they get it together could surprise some teams, but are not near the top three
8. NY: Will pass toronto for the eight seed, but thats just what i hope, Toronto is definately underachieving at the moment but they probably will make the playoffs

West:
1. Sacremento: Year of oppurtunity?
2. Minny: West finals?
3. SA: The defending champions should never be forgotten
4. LAL: Too much injuries will get them to slip to fourth, and what is everybody talking about a good bench? They have no bench face it, not compared, on the other hand, Minny and SA dont really have one too(at the moment)
5. Houston: JVG gettin it done, but they cant win a series from the teams above
6. Dallas: like Cuban said, this year's league isnt the same league, they should never have traded NVE
7. Nuggets: one word, WAUW, i love Camby since i saw him play the NYC finals, for me the ideal C(excluding shaq),athletic, good vert, plays with intensity, his contributions are totally underestimated
8. Memphis: Utah should be here, but without Harp and the grizz having one of the best benches in the nba, they aint gonna make it for the 8th seed

MVP: KG no doubt
MIP: I agree with ben, there is just no way Randolph should win this award, he just got increased minutes and became maybe a little better than last year, i dont really know who should win this, cuz Redd just got an increase in minutes too, but he's a stud no doubt, and AK-47 also saw increased minutes, lets say Eric Dampier
COY: Sloan, i dont care how well denver does, sloan should get the award this year, when is the man going to get some recognition after all these years, denver's coach and porter are both close second
DPOY: Lets give it to Artest for a change
6th man: Bobby Jackson, closely followed by Antawn Jamison, or maybe even CWebb if he plays enough games this season but doesnt start right away

[Amphatoast]

GM of the Year- Isiah Thomas
Coach of he Year- Jerry Sloan ( especially if Utah gets to the playoffs, they are winning because of good coaching!)
MVP - KG, putting up better numbers than Duncan this year.
East
1. Indiana
2. New Jersey
3. Detriot
4. New Orleans
5. Milwaukee
6. Toronto
7. New York
8. Philadelphia
sorry celtics fans, but with Pierce injuried and the team isn't responding like the Lakers are with 3 superstars out, I'm having doubts in Boston. As for Knicks being in 7th, I think they got a good shot of passing the 76ers since the Knicks Chemistry is looking so smooth and nice right now. Notice the amount of assist Marbury been getting? He had 1 game with 8 points and 17 assists! And look at the match up, Knicks vs. Nets. Marbury vs. Kidd!

West
1. Sacramento
2. San Antonio
3. LA Lakers
4. Minnesota
5. Dallas
6. Houston
7. Denver
8. Utah Memphis

[/i]

[fgrep15]

Haha Utah Memphis for 8th seed in the West......

Memphis is a scary team man, their guys are so young and they really don't need to make any changes except get a good center (Lorenzen is too old) so in one or two years everyone should fear.

[Boyk]

im just gonna give my award predictions:

Here we go:

MVP: Kevin Garnett, Um who else is there??
this guy is the closest to a perfect basketballer we've seen since Prime MJ.
He Scores,Rebounds,Passes,plays D,Leadership, only thing missing is the Ring, which could be seen this year.

DPOY: I think Ben Wallace will take it for the 3rd time in a row, I'd like to see Artest get it, but Ben still is hte premier Defensive Player in the NBA

ROTY: hard to say between Anthony and James, both have a been great, Lebron has been better individually, but Melo has had more success on a team basis.
But considering the award is individual im gonna go with Lebron for now. Though i'd like to see Melo get it.

MIP: Zach Randolph, Who cares about Rasheed, Zach is the man at Portland now, Sheed is just his side kick now.
The guys getting 21 and 12 a game im pretty sure. Better than Sheed has ever put up in his career.
Michael Redd and Jamal Crawford may come close also.

6th Man: Where the hell is the love for Al Harrington.
Hes the most productive bench player other than Jamison, who also will come close to the award.
But my pick is Al Harrington.

[Nick]

MVP: Kevin Garnett (He was very close to getting it last year, and this year he has better numbers, and his team has a better W-L record. Tim Duncan runner up.)
DPOY: Ben Wallace (An even bigger force this year than last! Tim Duncan Runner up.)
ROTY: LeBron James (He will, that's all i have to say about that. Melo runner up, obviously.)
MIP: Ronald Murray (Last year nobody knew his name, this year everybody's sick of his name. How can he not get it? Randolph's per 48 numbers didn't improve that much, only by 1 point and 0 rebounds or something, so he can't win, Although the fact that he's established himself as Portland's go-to guy, and teams are double-teaming the guy all the time, it'll get him to be close. Rodney White's had a great increase in per 48 numbers, but i don't think he's made enough of an impact to get the award.)
6th man: Antwan Jamison (although it'd be cool to see Boykins win As people have said, Davis, Jackson deserve some love)
Coach of the year: Bzdelik, Denver (With no real superstar, this team has the chemistry to get to the playoffs IN THE WEST. The coach should get some love for that.)
Gm of the year: Isiah Thomas? on the other hand, maybe PHX GM?

[sliccat]

Off topic a little bit, but I think I found a solution to the whole east-west thing. make a more jagged line east and west, putting New Orleans in the west, and moving Texas(SA, Dallas, and Houston) in the east. Plus make the Bobcats or Miluakee move to the west in 05-06 season. That puts more pressure on the east teams to step up and creates more competition, without having one side dominate the other. It also makes it more like football, where anybody can make it, increasing the TV ratings.

[fgrep15]

^^^Yea a lot of people were proposijng ideas like that, I remember I think Stu Jackson saying it won't happen. He said when the Celtics and the Bulls were winning before and the West always lost no one complained, so they shouldn't complain now that the West is winning and the East isn't.

[Ruff Ryder]

Plus make the Bobcats or Miluakee move to the west in 05-06 season.

I doubt the bobcats would move after only 1 year of playing. Maybe the east's GM's need to be smarter and get better players.

[benji]

^^^Yea a lot of people were proposijng ideas like that, I remember I think Stu Jackson saying it won't happen. He said when the Celtics and the Bulls were winning before and the West always lost no one complained, so they shouldn't complain now that the West is winning and the East isn't.

That's why the West is better now, because the East was too good and physical so the young talents headed West, then all the Eastern guys retired/got older while the young fellers out West developed.

but Ben still is hte premier Defensive Player in the NBA

How can he be when Tim Duncan is better...

6th Man: Where the hell is the love for Al Harrington.

Maybe it's because he's not even close to being the best reserve in the league...

Hes the most productive bench player other than Jamison

This = lie.

DPOY: Ben Wallace (An even bigger force this year than last!)

How did you come to that conclusion Barnsey? Tell me on MSN or something...

[fgrep15]

"Jamaal has changed our world," gushed Rick Carlisle, rattling off a multitude of reasons, each related to uninhibited running and unrestrained stunning. "Our scoring has gone up about ten a game since he took over the point. The other night in Dallas we piled up 25 fast break points to five by the Mavericks. All because Jamaal was pushing the ball and attacking the defense."

"What I love about Jamaal is that he stayed in shape and kept working on his jumper when he wasn't getting any time," Carlisle praised. "I went with Kenny [Anderson] at the start and when he got hurt Jamaal was ready. That's impressive."

Bender is also back an Indiana is looking better, Showdown between Indy and Detroit tonight.


But Pacer management has received several distress signals over the last few weeks from Al Harrington. Sources say the Jersey-born-and-bred forward wants to play somewhere (preferably the Knicks) where he can be a leading man, not an understudy. But there's no way Indy will trade him short of getting a rising superstar.

[EGarrett]

I hope Artest wins DPOY. It's a lot easier to stand under the basket and wait for people to come to you than it is to chase people like Kobe and T-Mac all over the floor. Wallace probably would barely even appreciate another DPOY Trophy...while it may be the only thing that stops Artest from killing us all.

[Andrew]

Haha Utah Memphis for 8th seed in the West......

Memphis is a scary team man, their guys are so young and they really don't need to make any changes except get a good center (Lorenzen is too old) so in one or two years everyone should fear.

This is a little off-topic, but Lorenzen Wright is only 28 (turning 29 this year) - in terms of basketball, he isn't really that old.

[Nick]

Hey i found this article that's related to what we're talking about.

It's mid-January, and we know what that means in Chicago: Only five months until spring and 5½ months to summer.

It's also the halfway mark in the NBA season, which most teams consider a marathon and the Bulls regard as a prison sentence. The NBA bestows its honors and awards after the regular season, but with the Bears no longer playing and pitchers and catchers not reporting yet, we're a little short of copy. So here's a look at the best and the worst of the NBA in the first half of the season:




MVP: Tim Duncan, Spurs. You're going to hear talk about Kevin Garnett, whose Timberwolves are fighting the Spurs for the division lead and beat the Spurs when they played this season. You'll hear about Peja Stojakovic, who has been excellent for the Kings with Chris Webber out, and Jermaine O'Neal, a rock for a Pacers team some are saying could break the West's stranglehold on the NBA title. Perhaps even Baron Davis, the early favorite, or Ben Wallace.

That thinking is similar to the Michael Jordan backlash in the 1990s, when Charles Barkley and Karl Malone won MVP awards. Everyone agreed Jordan was the best player, but they got tired of voting for him every year. Same with Duncan. It doesn't help that he has no media presence, by choice. He makes everyone better, does more with less than anyone (there's not anyone on his team even close to being an All-Star) and he's consistent, the definition of a star.

Coach of the Year: Jerry Sloan, Jazz. Come on, isn't it about time? It wasn't all Karl Malone and John Stockton after all. Sloan's teaching ability, his consistency and his demanding ways are a model for coaches. Denver's Jeff Bzdelik, Milwaukee's Terry Porter, Detroit's Larry Brown and Sacramento's Rick Adelman also deserve consideration.

Sixth Man: Bobby Jackson, Kings. Darrell Armstrong, Antawn Jamison, Desmond Mason, Al Harrington and Earl Boykins will get consideration, but Jackson is a true spark-plug player in the tradition of great sixth men who provide energy off the bench.

Defensive Player of the Year: Garnett. Ron Artest is certainly in the team picture, but it's hard to overlook everything Garnett does. He rebounds, he blocks shots and he guards just about every position. Duncan, Wallace and Jason Kidd also get some mention.

Foot in Mouth Award: It could be retired for the Nets' Kenyon Martin, who deserves a special mention for his callous, insensitive remarks belittling Alonzo Mourning's kidney disease. Supporting actor goes to Rasheed Wallace, who in one of the rare interviews he granted said he is a victim of racial prejudice in the NBA. Media groups have asked that he stop doing interviews.

Biggest Disappointment: Bulls. So much for my prediction of fourth place in the East. It may be that the Bulls' talent is more mirage than reality, because as LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have shown, you can perform in the NBA as a teenager.

The bad news is the Bulls have to blow it up and start again, getting rid of at least two from among Eddy Curry, Jamal Crawford and Tyson Chandler. The good news is they're still in the Eastern Conference, and if they're smart, they could compete next season without so-called potential star players. See the Milwaukee Bucks.

Most Improved Player: Brian Cardinal, Golden State Warriors. There are some terrific candidates for this award, which may be indicative of the declining quality of play in the NBA.

It's hard to pass over Seattle's Ronald "Flip" Murray, who had a nickname before he'd played a game, and then turned out to have an amazing game for a second-round pick. There's Portland's Zach Randolph, who has turned into a legitimate All-Star, Utah's DeShawn Stevenson, who has turned into a reliable shooter, Utah's Andre Kirilenko, a developing star, and the Bucks' Michael Redd, another second-round pick who has become a leader.

But this vote goes to a good guy, the Warriors' Cardinal, who played 28 games in parts of three NBA seasons never averaging more than 2.1 points. He has become almost a double-figure scorer (9.5), a solid defender and a valuable everyman, an inspirational overachiever.

Biggest Surprise: Denver Nuggets. Now really, who saw this coming? Marcus Camby is healthy, Andre Miller woke from his coma and Voshon Lenard and Boykins have contributed as free agents. There are guys named Andersen and Elson whose first names you still don't know, and the lowest-paid coach in the league. They've competed all season in the league's toughest division and against the best teams. Perhaps it won't last with the competition, but it's been the best revival since "The Producers."

The Bucks also deserve a mention, but they play in the Eastern Conference.

Executive of the Year: Larry Harris, Bucks. Small market, limited budget. This is how you build an entertaining team. They ate the huge contracts of egomaniacal coach George Karl and disruptive Anthony Mason and said goodbye to aging Gary Payton, risky in the star-driven NBA. They took a chance on a good-guy coach who wasn't going to compete with the players for attention. They showed that character does matter and hard work and effort can win without big names.

Also worthy: Isiah Thomas, for shaking up the Knicks; Kiki Vandeweghe, for finding the right blend of role players in Denver; the Lakers' Mitch Kupchak, for making a Hall of Fame wing; and Minnesota's Kevin McHale, for giving Garnett a chance to go somewhere in the playoffs.

Truth Award: Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, Lakers. O'Neal said Bryant was selfish and self-involved. Bryant said O'Neal was fat, lazy and irresponsible. No one actually denied the statements, only that they were said. Phil Jackson smiled mischievously.

Rookie of the Year: James. Sure Anthony's Nuggets are much improved, perhaps playoff-bound after winning 17 games last season, the same as the Cavs. And James certainly has more opportunities to score with a poor team. But no one, perhaps ever, has come into the NBA with as much attention as James. He has held up remarkably well and performed consistently.

Non-Executive of the Year: Mark Cuban, Mavericks. So much for a good thing. He took the best Mavs team ever, a close group that was working well together, and broke it up, returning just five players in his role as the mad fantasy-league owner. Don't be surprised if free agent Steve Nash bolts after the season.

Wow, some interesting ones there, Brian Cardinal for MIP? i didn't know he was even having a good season, i'm gonng go check out his profile now.

He made a good point about Duncan: "That thinking is similar to the Michael Jordan backlash in the 1990s, when Charles Barkley and Karl Malone won MVP awards. Everyone agreed Jordan was the best player, but they got tired of voting for him every year. Same with Duncan."



Garnett for DPOY? hmm, never really put him in that picture.

[Matt]

yeah KG can play D like crazy