Predict the Eastern Conference Standings 2013/14

hands11 · Post #41 » by **hands11** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 7:15 am

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wiz ... ning-camp/

Let get this things started already.

Personally, I like how the team stands coming into camp. With Okafor out temporarily, Kevin, Ves and Booker have the opportunity that was delayed last year by adding the needed vets the team had to have to help Wall and Beal develop. Since Wall and Beal are top priority, the move made sense.

Now we get to see what these three can do before their contracts run out cuz they are running out and we needed to know. Even if one or more get traded from the team eventually.

They are no longer wet behind the ears rookies or even second year players stumbling along. All have at least two years under their belt. Ves going into year 3, Kevin and Booker going into year 4. Thats not to late for any of them.

All three seemed to put in good work over the summer.

I think the team has enough young talent in Wall and Beal to go with vet talent and shooting range such that these player can have defined roles they can live up to that fits what they can do already. That along should produce good results just because we also have a healthy Nene, and Wall and Beal are ready to break out, plus Webster, Trevor A and now AH and Maynor. That's not even talking about anything we get from Otto and Glen.

If we get more from that group then they already can do and Otto and Glen produce, then things are going to look all that much better. Specially when Okafor returns.

Okafor missing some time hasn't dampened my excitement for the season. I looking forward to seeing what Kevin, Ves and Booker can do this year. I think all 3 will contribute. The team is still young when you take those 3 plus Otto into consideration. Its not a seasoned team, but its not a bunch of rookies either. Its an interesting blend. And as a rebuilding team, they look ready to take the next step.

Should be fun to watch. They should be able to play some exciting ball. There will be some bumps along the way. Randy will coach them up and hold them accountable. But it feels like a unified team now in a way it hasn't in a long time.

verbal8 · Post #42 » by **verbal8** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:52 pm

closg00 wrote:Bumping for current thoughts, I think the 8th seed is wide-open right now.

I think the Raptors or Pistons will likely get it.

Nivek · Post #43 » by **Nivek** » Fri Sep 27, 2013 6:05 pm

Aren't all the seeds wide open right now?

closg00 · Post #44 » by **closg00** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 11:14 am

FWIW, Detroit was able to hang with the Heat last night, obviously the starters didn't play the entire game but Det fans can be hopeful this season.
http://www.nba.com/games/20131010/MIADE ... tml?ls=slt

nuposse04 · Post #45 » by **nuposse04** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 3:42 pm

closg00 wrote:FWIW, Detroit was able to hang with the Heat last night, obviously the starters didn't play the entire game but Det fans can be hopeful this season.
http://www.nba.com/games/20131010/MIADE ... tml?ls=slt

If J Smith becomes a 37%+ 3 pt shooter they could be good but I wouldn't bet on that. He was bad last season. Also, I suspect Will Bynum will not go full (Please Use More Appropriate Word) every night on teams.

Drummond will be a monster but I just don't like the way that team is set up. They had a lineup of Bynum + Jonas+Smith+Drummond+monroe yesterday...I have a hard time believing that has a high probability of succeeding. Oh I also expect them to shoot themselves in the foot a lot once Jennings starts his usual ways.

Post #46 » by **nate33** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 3:46 pm

nuposse04 wrote:
closg00 wrote:FWIW, Detroit was able to hang with the Heat last night, obviously the starters didn't play the entire game but Det fans can be hopeful this season.
http://www.nba.com/games/20131010/MIADE ... tml?ls=slt

If J Smith becomes a 37%+ 3 pt shooter they could be good but I wouldn't bet on that. He was bad last season. Also, I suspect Will Bynum will not go full (Please Use More Appropriate Word) every night on teams.

Drummond will be a monster but I just don't like the way that team is set up. They had a lineup of Bynum + Jonas+Smith+Drummond+monroe yesterday...I have a hard time believing that has a high probability of succeeding. Oh I also expect them to shoot themselves in the foot a lot once Jennings starts his usual ways.

I think Detroit will start strong until teams figure out how to game plan against them. When opponents learn to pack it in and force Detroit to shoot, Detroit is going to find it very difficult to score - particularly once Chauncey Billups gets hurt.

nuposse04 · Post #47 » by **nuposse04** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 4:13 pm

^ What should be interesting is their defensive ceiling. They should be elite in the interior but their wing defense ought to be questionable. Jennings and Billups are hot garbage defenders that I don't think Josh Smith can compensate for. They will undoubtedly be a "grind-it-out" team that should keep the scores within striking distance. It won't be fun playing them as they are physically imposing but I'm not sure its sustainable either.

I suspect they will HAVE to trade Monroe at the trade deadline. I can't imagine them tying up two max deals on their forwards and then have to pay Drummond eventually as well. Not to mention they need to bring in some decent SGs. Also Jennings starts making 8 mil per after this season.

Dat2U · Post #48 » by **Dat2U** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 4:45 pm

Here's how I really see Detroit's roster:

CE Greg Monroe (20) / Andre Drummond (28) / Josh Harrellson
PF Josh Smith (18) / Jonas Jerebko (16) / Greg Monroe (14) /Charlie Villanueva
SF Kyle Singler (16) / Josh Smith (16) / Luigi Datome (16)
SG Chauncey Billups (24) / Rodney Stuckey (24) / Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
PG Brandon Jennings (34) / Will Bynum (14) / Peyton Siva

Monroe, Smith & Jennings all get 34 minutes. For Smith's 16 minutes at SF, he's paired with Jerebko who's a stretch 4. I would ensure that Monroe, Drummond & Smith barely play together if at all.

Upper Decker · Post #49 » by **Upper Decker** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 5:36 pm

I'm probably in the minority on this, but I think the Raptors are really being sold short. People project them to be bottom 5-6 in the NBA and I don't see that. Amir Johnson is one of the more underrated players in the league. He balances out the front court nicely with Jonas, who I expect to make a leap this season. Lowry looks healthy and is pretty good as well. For the money I'm not a fan of Gay or Derozan, but they're both capable. With Okafor out I don't see how the Wizards are clearly better than Toronto.

Right now my predictions are

1. Heat
2. Bulls
3. Nets
4. Pacers
5. Knicks
6. Hawks
7. Cavs
8. Detroit
9. Toronto
10 Washington
11. Bucks

Boston, Philly, Charlotte, Orlando in some order.

Post #50 » by **nate33** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 6:24 pm

Upper Decker wrote:I'm probably in the minority on this, but I think the Raptors are really being sold short. People project them to be bottom 5-6 in the NBA and I don't see that. Amir Johnson is one of the more underrated players in the league. He balances out the front court nicely with Jonas, who I expect to make a leap this season. Lowry looks healthy and is pretty good as well. For the money I'm not a fan of Gay or Derozan, but they're both capable. With Okafor out I don't see how the Wizards are clearly better than Toronto.

Right now my predictions are

1. Heat
2. Bulls
3. Nets
4. Pacers
5. Knicks
6. Hawks
7. Cavs
8. Detroit
9. Toronto
10 Washington
11. Bucks

Boston, Philly, Charlotte, Orlando in some order.

I think you make a fair point about Toronto, although they're going to have similar shooting problems to Detroit. I don't get all the Cavs hype though. What exactly have they done to make them so much better than the 24-win team of last year? An oft injured Varajeo plus Jarrett Jack isn't worth 20 wins.

Post #51 » by **LyricalRico** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:37 pm

^ Agree, nate. I've said similar things about Cleveland - that the Kyrie Irving hype is making their moves look better than they are. I think they'll be an improved team, but not 20 wins more (which has only happened like once in history, with Duncan I think).

As for Toronto, I haven't really thought about them much. They've got some interesting pieces but without a star to carry them, they aren't going anywhere.

hands11 · Post #52 » by **hands11** » Fri Oct 11, 2013 8:01 pm

I said Jan. for Okafor .. Still seems that way to me at the latest.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wiz ... k-in-neck/

“If you didn’t know anything was wrong, which makes it a bit of a tricky case, but as far as the worst, the acute phase is over,” Okafor said. “Right now, it’s just a progression of how I feel. It’s coming along, getting better day by day. No definite time frame.”

This is the same kind of things they said about Wall going into the season. If we don't hear something good in the next two weeks, sounds like Jan. If we do, it could be Dec. I get the sense he could play now if he needed to but he would jeopardize reinjury. They will want him to rest and get it right. Even strengthen the area.

Man, MIA, IND, BRK and CHI should be very competitive at the top. That might be the best top 4 in the East in a while.

The between the top 4 in wins last year was 66 to 49. I think we are going to see a tighter grouping in wins between those 4. Closer to what happened in the West last year.

mhd · Post #53 » by **mhd** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 2:00 am

Bill Simmons & Jalen preview the Wiz:

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-trian ... on-wizards

Post #54 » by **montestewart** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 3:05 am

LyricalRico wrote:^ Agree, nate. I've said similar things about Cleveland - that the Kyrie Irving hype is making their moves look better than they are. I think they'll be an improved team, but not 20 wins more (which has only happened like once in history, with Duncan I think).

As for Toronto, I haven't really thought about them much. They've got some interesting pieces but without a star to carry them, they aren't going anywhere.

Spurs also did it in Robinson's rookie year, and Celtics did it twice, in Bird's rookie year and again when they added Garnett and Allen. Can't think of any others. Oh wait, Bucks when they added Jabbar. Wonder what Warriors did when they added Wilt?

closg00 · Post #55 » by **closg00** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 12:28 pm

The Cavs look terrible early, they can't score with MKG at SF.

Post #56 » by **nate33** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 12:56 pm

closg00 wrote:The Cavs look terrible early, they can't score with MKG at SF.

Do you mean the Bobcats?

closg00 · Post #57 » by **closg00** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 1:58 pm

nate33 wrote:
closg00 wrote:The Cats look terrible early, they can't score with MKG at SF.

Do you mean the Bobcats?

Oops, I meant the Cats.

hands11 · Post #58 » by **hands11** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 2:11 pm

mhd wrote:Bill Simmons & Jalen preview the Wiz:

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-trian ... on-wizards

I love watching those two together and how they break it down and keep it real.

They aren't done rebuilding, but we knew that. They could really use a Reggie Evans type. Between Nene, Ves and Kevin, you just don't have enough grit.

mhd · Post #59 » by **mhd** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 3:15 pm

I love how Jalen says Ves is a bust. Face it hands, everyone except clueless EG knows he's a bust.

Post #60 » by **nate33** » Sat Oct 12, 2013 3:55 pm

mhd wrote:I love how Jalen says Ves is a bust. Face it hands, everyone except clueless EG knows he's a bust.

Yeah, Jalen asked Simmons if it's time to label Vesely a bust. Simmons response was, "...yeah", with no equivocation or need for explanation. He wasn't being vicious or trying to be funny, it was a simple, honest assessment.

Sad but true.