LamarMatic7 wrote:Mystical Apples wrote:LamarMatic7 wrote:Admittedly this is the over/under which I'm now regretting but either way I took the under at 36.5 (probably wouldn't do that now).
I seriously doubt that they will reach .500.
A lot of question marks. I view them like Miami with potential but unsure if it will be realized. I have a better feeling about Dallas though for various reasons.
what are the various reasons then?
Parsons and Matthews might not be themselves until New Year. Deron Williams being back doesn't matter all that much, he's washed up and bad when compared to other starting point guards.
Zaza is better than people think but worse than most starting big men among the Western playoff teams. Moreover, he's not nearly athletic enough to compensate for Dirk's shortcomings on defense.
It's more about my lack of faith in Miami and specifically Whiteside. He's incredibly overrated and besides the talent and box scores I think he'll hurt his team this year. His presence slides Bosh out of his most effective position and that alone makes them worse. If Bosh gets 2/3 of his time at center I'd feel differently. Amare, Haslem, and Birdman will be net minus rotation players. They're depth at wing is thin and that includes an older Wade and a rookie, and their PG depth is questionable depending which Mario the team gets although I like him better than most.
Miami should trade Whiteside for a rotation piece. Ironically, I think both Charlotte and Miami could be Dallas trade partners and/or with Houston
Dirk is perpetually underrated. Williams is still a decent PG who if evaluated at face value is a good add for them. He and Harris will be interchangeable combos and can compete with most back courts. Matthews of course is a wild card but if he's healthy that team will have an aggressive soul. The difference for me is I see very little chance for turmoil with a floor around 40 wins.
