Clippers?? why???

[Hambombs]

I don't know why I'm going to do this but I am. Neither of those teams scare me one bit.

Chicago: Miami has beaten a Derrick Rose led Bulls team with a much better bunch in the playoffs when Miami had the big 3 and nothing else. Chicago has hit their ceiling. Thibs will run Chicago to the limit during the regular season where they'll run out of gas in the playoffs. Happens every single year that he's been the coach.

Brooklyn: Rookie coach. Ageing roster. They'll be a 4-seed and get eliminated in the 2nd round.

Houston: They have Dwight and Harden. Decent tandem, but Miami has shut down Harden, and the only time Miami would see them in the playoffs would be the Finals. Houston improved, but they're still no better than a 4-seed in the West.

New York: Did New York gain a 3rd team I don't know about? I'm not concerned with the Knicks whatsoever....like not at all.

OKC: Miami has ravaged that team dating back to the 2012 Finals. They also don't have Harden, once again not concerned.

Golden State: Great offensive team. But it's simply a team led by a really good PG who just can't stay healthy. Plus, they have to get through either OKC, LAC or the Spurs. I'll go with the field.

Once again, I'm not saying Miami is unbeatable. The last two seasons has shown me that they are. But to think that anyone on this list is just as good or is better is just laughable. Like I said, Indiana and the Spurs are the only two team's in the league that give me cause for concern.

Curry stayed healthy all last year

 

[raptorlife4]

You just lost all credibility in posting

You lost yours weeks ago

 

[Hambombs]

Clippers will finish as a top 3 seed in the west along with SAS and either OKC/HOU. Warriors will be lucky to get the 5 seed. I'm looking at them as a 6 or 7 seed again.

Just because you beat a Nuggets team who is a regular season team doesn't mean your team is designed for post season success. Every season is not the same. Just because you advanced further than them last season doesn't mean the same will happen this yr. Just remember that the Warriors were terrible in the 2nd half of the season

Saying they are a 5 seed at best is kind of harsh IMO I would consider golden state better than Houston and the clippers also golden state finished higher than Houston last year without a healthy Bogut! Yeah I know they added Dwight but he's not much better than Asik or Larry sanders defensively

 

[Hambombs]

You lost yours weeks ago

Why do you think he's better than iggy? PPG is not a good stat.

 

[Hambombs]

There is nothing scary about GSW or OKC from a Heat perspective. All OKC have is Kevin and Russ. Really weak bench and role players

You don't even check anyone's roster

 

[Hambombs]

Agree

Please tell me you don't use ppg? He's a better finisher, defense, passing, rebounding about the same. Only thing he does better is shoot jumpers. If he was that good we would of traded for Rudy gay at the deadline for barnes

 

[Hambombs]

Rudy Gay RAPM= 0.5 andre igoudala 4 RAPM end of discussion on that one

 

[Logicallylethal]

I think it's more of the west's top tier declining than anything else.

Thunder now have some questions losing Harden and then losing Kevin Martin who was supposed to provide the spark off the bench

Spurs...there's always talk of decline

And Houston being a question mark...Clippers just seem to be "the sure thing" in the eyes of analyst

I honestly think the West is as wide open as ever. Let's not forget teams like the Warriors and Grizzlies either. Everyone from 1-6 can finish 1st and the same team that could finish 1st can also finish 6th.

 

[Heatles84]

Curry stayed healthy all last year

And lost.

 

[Heatles84]

You lost yours weeks ago

 

[Hambombs]

I think it's more of the west's top tier declining than anything else.

Thunder now have some questions losing Harden and then losing Kevin Martin who was supposed to provide the spark off the bench

Spurs...there's always talk of decline

And Houston being a question mark...Clippers just seem to be "the sure thing" in the eyes of analyst

I honestly think the West is as wide open as ever. Let's not forget teams like the Warriors and Grizzlies either. Everyone from 1-6 can finish 1st and the same team that could finish 1st can also finish 6th.

I totally agree the west is very wide open. Not really a team you can say is that much better than the other 5 teams IMO

 

[Hambombs]

And lost.

What are you talking about he was healthy all year

 

[bksballer89]

Saying they are a 5 seed at best is kind of harsh IMO I would consider golden state better than Houston and the clippers also golden state finished higher than Houston last year without a healthy Bogut! Yeah I know they added Dwight but he's not much better than Asik or Larry sanders defensively

Dwight is not much better than Asik or Larry Sanders? Are you high?

 

[Hambombs]

Dwight is not much better than Asik or Larry Sanders? Are you high?

DEFENSIVELY. Do you even read?

 

[Heatles84]

DEFENSIVELY. Do you even read?

I guess being a 3 time DPOY as well as leading the league in rebounds last year despite recovering from back surgery is overrated.

 

[Heatles84]

What are you talking about he was healthy all year

Once again....the Warriors still lost.

 

[Hambombs]

Once again....the Warriors still lost.

What does have to with him staying healthy?! The other guy said he had to prove his health I was just correcting him on that

 

[Hambombs]

I guess being a 3 time DPOY as well as leading the league in rebounds last year despite recovering from back surgery is overrated.

those things don't matter right now. sanders had a 6.1 defensive RAPM Dwight had 6.3 RAPM that's all I'm saying

 

[Heatles84]

those things don't matter right now. sanders had a 6.1 defensive RAPM Dwight had 6.3 RAPM that's all I'm saying

RAPM is a flawed advanced statistic tool. Lebron has an RAPM of 1.6, yet he guards every single position on the court and is named 1st team all defense every single year and is usually in the top 3 for DPOY (so this covers both the coaches and media aspect in case you're trying to argue). So you're telling me that by pure mathematics is just barely 4 times the defensive player that Lebron is? Or how about Wade (RAPM is 1.1) who's probably the best shot blocking SG in the league? Or Kobe who's a -1.2, but the man is probably on par with Jordan as a perimeter defender?

You're using this tool way out of context, just so you know.

 

[Hambombs]

RAPM is a flawed advanced statistic tool. Lebron has an RAPM of 1.6, yet he guards every single position on the court and is named 1st team all defense every single year and is usually in the top 3 for DPOY (so this covers both the coaches and media aspect in case you're trying to argue). So you're telling me that by pure mathematics is just barely 4 times the defensive player that Lebron is? Or how about Wade (RAPM is 1.1) who's probably the best shot blocking SG in the league? Or Kobe who's a -1.2, but the man is probably on par with Jordan as a perimeter defender?

You're using this tool way out of context, just so you know.

Win shares is another stat that tells some of the story. Just cause he was named doesn't mean he is you know this. Also block shots doesn't mean youre great at D either. You are looking way to much into the media hype rather than look at reality. There was a video of interior defense stats and larry sanders is right there with Dwight.