Early Top 8 in the East projections.

NZB2323 · Post #201 » by **NZB2323** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:15 pm

1. Bulls
2. Cavs
3. Wizards
4. Raptors
5. Pacers
6. Hawks
7. Heat
8. Nets

junot111 · Post #202 » by **junot111** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:17 pm

catsfan wrote:dammit guys. we aren't the bobcats! we are the hornets!

your name is "catsfan"

pewing33ny · Post #203 » by **pewing33ny** » Mon Jul 14, 2014 11:38 pm

cavs
bulls
wizards
raptors (only because division champs, should be 6th)
pacers (should be 3rd seed)
heat
hawks
bobcats

RoyalMajesty · Post #204 » by **RoyalMajesty** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:15 am

Playoff Teams: Cavaliers, Heat, Pacers, Bulls, Wizards, Raptors, Hornets, Nets

Lottery Teams: 76ers, Magic, Pistons, Bucks, Celtics, Hawks, Knicks

RoyalMajesty · Post #205 » by **RoyalMajesty** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:18 am

pewing33ny wrote:cavs
bulls
wizards
raptors (only because division champs, should be 6th)
pacers (should be 3rd seed)
heat
hawks
Hornets

Fixed

NbdyBeatsTheWiz · Post #206 » by **NbdyBeatsTheWiz** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:53 am

Crazy seeing the Wiz universally slated as a contender.
Toronto is getting way too slept on too.

NbdyBeatsTheWiz · Post #207 » by **NbdyBeatsTheWiz** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:55 am

Jvaughn wrote:
TDotsfinest97 wrote:Bulls are being ranked too high and are overrated

Everyone thought in the playoffs that the Bulls would easily eliminate the Wizards

Nobody thought that.

Ummm....

DynastySS · Post #208 » by **DynastySS** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 12:58 am

There is a great joke to be had here, but alas we live in a politically correct era.

Left Side Drive · Post #209 » by **Left Side Drive** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:02 am

NbdyBeatsTheWiz wrote:Crazy seeing the Wiz universally slated as a contender.
Toronto is getting way too slept on too.

Happy for the Wizards. You guys came up around the same time Raps started to figure it out too. Raps used to getting slept on it's inevitable until we win a playoff round. But Wizards definitely looking good and finally have a shot at winning their division.

Colbinii · Post #210 » by **Colbinii** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:03 am

Bulls
Cavs
Pacers
Wizards
Heat
Hornets
Raptors
Pistons

Prokorov · Post #211 » by **Prokorov** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:03 am

aaaaaaannd time to build up my and1 count:

raps 60w
Bulls 56
Cavs 54w
Pacers 50w
Hawks 49w
Wizards 48w
Heat 44w
Nets 43w

Jvaughn · Post #212 » by **Jvaughn** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:10 am

NbdyBeatsTheWiz wrote:
Jvaughn wrote:
TDotsfinest97 wrote:Bulls are being ranked too high and are overrated

Everyone thought in the playoffs that the Bulls would easily eliminate the Wizards

Nobody thought that.

Ummm....

He said easily. Except for a couple idiots on that panel, most informed people thought it would be a tough series.

Waylon Mercy · Post #213 » by **Waylon Mercy** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:12 am

Hello Brooklyn wrote:
Waylon Mercy wrote:
Hello Brooklyn wrote:
Raptors fans are getting way too butthurt, because Nets fans think were gonna be better than them.

The Nets are going back to the JJ/Lopez/Johnson core that won them 49 games. I don't think its hard to believe that we can do that again and be better than Raptors. We proved we were better than them in the playoffs.

And no Pierce did not win us that series. He wasn't even our best player, Johnson was. And his production can be replaced with younger players. Plus Lopez is our best player overall anyway.

I was extremely high on the Nets last year I thought they could contend for the tittle when they
first put that roster together...

Even going into the playoffs Brooklyn was the last team a lot of us wanted to face outside of
Miami. That's why Ujiri yelled F*ck Brooklyn because they tanked to play us. No doubt in my mind
the Raps would have beat the Wizards or Bulls.

Going into the series I thought the Nets would win in 4 or 5...I couldn't believe how close the
series was and how it came down to the final shot. The Nets looked old and overrated as many
people had said.

With that said since that series ended...

Out

Pierce
Livingston
Thorton
Blatche (possibly)
Anderson (possibly)

In

Lopez
Jack
Bodjanivic (Probably misspelled euro project)

Also Kevin Garnett is done like dinner and at this point of his career is a defender
who can play 18-20 mins a night. Kirilenko was a complete non factor in the playoffs
and is on his last legs.

Deron Williams looks like hes lost a step and isn't an elite PG anymore and now has had
some surgery on his ankles. Joe Johnson is more effective in the playoffs than the regular
season and is 33. I've always been a Jarrett Jack fan but he's coming off one his worst seasons
of his career in Cleveland where he couldn't get any consistency going all season. You guys
will severely miss Pierces clutch ability. He was one of the most clutch players in the league
last year according to espn and is the difference in a few wins in super tight games.

I agree Brook Lopez is your best player everybody knows his injury history in the last 3 years
he's probably gonna be on a minute restriction early on but he's gonna have to be healthy
and play at a very high level to compensate the lost depth and declining pieces around him.

The Nets look like they're gonna be on the treadmill of 8-10 in the next few years before they
inevitably crash into the lottery.

The loss of our players is overstated.

I don't see how Livingston is much better than Jack. Blatche was gonna lose his minutes anyway with Lopez back and Plumlee developing. Anderson will be back.

That leaves us with Pierce leaving. The fact of the matter is, with Lopez's offense we don't need Pierce anymore. And its better to have younger athletic players in like Plumlee and Bojan. I agree Pierce was important. But I don't see us losing more games without him. Hes easily replaceable.

KG getting older is fine. He wasn't that important last year anyway outside of short stretches.

Deron Williams may look bad, but I don't think hes getting any worse. We all hope that he can get better after surgery, but even if he cant he can at least replicate his production.

Pierce was one of the most clutch players? You clearly didn't watch the Nets. Yes in that Raptors series he had a few clutch moments. In the season he was AWFUL in the clutch. Absolutely terrible. Johnson is the one who was truly clutch and had game winners.

Again, this lost depth simply doesn't exist. Lopez gives us more depth then anything we had last year. He was scoring 20 PPG. Now players like Plumlee, KG, Johnson, don't have to do as much.

If Lopez/Johnson/Williams are so incapable of winning games, why did they get 49 wins in 2013? You guys have been unable to answer that question. And they had a much worse bench that year and coach.

2 years ago...

Lopez wasn't coming off another major injury, D-Will was still considered an elite PG and
didn't look like he lost a step and JJ was 31 as opposed to 33 where father time could kick
in at anytime.

Also the dynamic of the East has changed a lot since then and looks to be more competitive
since then.

As for Paul Pierce not being clutch in the regular season...

Truth Still Matters
Despite his struggles last season, Paul Pierce trailed only Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard in clutch-time 3-pointers (final five minutes of 4th quarter/OT when score is within five points). Here's a look:

Players Clutch 3's
Kevin Durant 20
Damian Lillard 19
Chris Bosh 16
Paul Pierce 16
Klay Thompson 15
-- ESPN Stats & Information

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11208 ... api_public

I think you guys will really miss Livingston defensively but Jack should be an offensive upgrade...

But I'm not sold on the Nets depth and all the ?'s you guys have to pencil you in to the
top 6-7 playoff spots in the East and it looks like almost all NBA pundits and fans agree.

How long will it take the Nets to adjust to Lionel Hollins system?
Can Brook Lopez stay healthy?
Will Brook Lopez be on a minute restriction?
Can Brook Lopez still play at a high level?
Can Deron Williams be an elite PG again especially after the work on his ankles?
Can Joe Johnson continue to fight off father time?
Can Jarrett Jack bounce back after an off year for him?
Is Teletovic and Plumlee expected to take a big leap?
Can you get anything out of the corpses of KG and AK47?

That's a lot of ?'s that most of the East playoff teams don't have

Post #214 » by **Trader_Joe** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:14 am

Prokorov wrote:aaaaaaannd time to build up my and1 count:

raps 60w
Bulls 56
Cavs 54w
Pacers 50w
Hawks 49w
Wizards 48w
Heat 44w
Nets 43w

I think the Raps can challenge 72 wins.

And on a serious note, I think Atlanta is too high.
The East was trash early on when they were in third..Toronto, Chicago, Brooklyn all came on the second half of the season.

Left Side Drive · Post #215 » by **Left Side Drive** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:17 am

Prokorov wrote:aaaaaaannd time to build up my and1 count:

raps 60w
Bulls 56
Cavs 54w
Pacers 50w
Hawks 49w
Wizards 48w
Heat 44w
Nets 43w

Only 60 wins...

We going to beat Jordan's Bulls record if you havn't heard.

EDIT: I'll give you an AND1 out of pity

Prokorov · Post #216 » by **Prokorov** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:22 am

Waylon Mercy wrote:
2 years ago...

Lopez wasn't coming off another major injury,

Actually he was coming off the exact same major injury to the exact same foot.

vado · Post #217 » by **vado** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:23 am

Bobcats are going to surprise people.

TommyTBolt · Post #218 » by **TommyTBolt** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:29 am

1. Cavs
2. Wizards
3. Heat
4. Bulls
5. Knicks
6. Bobcats
7. Pacers
8. Hawks

Waylon Mercy · Post #219 » by **Waylon Mercy** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:29 am

Prokorov wrote:
Waylon Mercy wrote:
2 years ago...

Lopez wasn't coming off another major injury,

Actually he was coming off the exact same major injury to the exact same foot.

Yup 2 years ago he was coming off one surgery now he's coming off two surgeries
and to the same foot...

That's why there's so many ?'s with him

NbdyBeatsTheWiz · Post #220 » by **NbdyBeatsTheWiz** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 1:30 am

Left Side Drive wrote:
NbdyBeatsTheWiz wrote:Crazy seeing the Wiz universally slated as a contender.
Toronto is getting way too slept on too.

Happy for the Wizards. You guys came up around the same time Raps started to figure it out too. Raps used to getting slept on it's inevitable until we win a playoff round. But Wizards definitely looking good and finally have a shot at winning their division.

There's something to be said for continuity and chemistry, which y'all secured when you resigned Lowry. That was huge. Plus you are relatively young and growing. Clearly at LEAST a 4 seed next year. I don't see the Nets keeping up.