2015-16 NBA Eastern Conference OFFICIAL THREAD

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

Hate to help them out and I don't know if they could afford him, but Pau on the Cavs would put them on even footing with GSW and the Spurs, imo. He is a great passer, a very good rebounder and wouldn't clog the lane for Kyrie and Lebron's drives because teams have to respect his range.

While he'll never be a DPOY candidate, he is a good team defender, so he wouldn't hurt them too badly on the defensive end.

Agreed.

He would be absolutely perfect.

To bad their payroll is already at 2billion...lol

 

[LAD]

Hate to help them out and I don't know if they could afford him, but Pau on the Cavs would put them on even footing with GSW and the Spurs, imo. He is a great passer, a very good rebounder and wouldn't clog the lane for Kyrie and Lebron's drives because teams have to respect his range.

While he'll never be a DPOY candidate, he is a good team defender, so he wouldn't hurt them too badly on the defensive end.

It's too bad he immediately started to play better once he left the Lakers. But I have to agree as well...he'd fit perfectly with LBJ & Kyrie with his passing ability but also his rebounding too. Him & Thompson manning the boards would be crazy.

 

[Bolts]

Beal is just fragile.

Yeah, I see your point about Gasol.

A team looking to win next year might take Gasol on a short-term/high dollar contract if he was the final piece to the championship puzzle.

How sick would it be if he went to the Spurs?

It said on the description that he would take less, just wants a chance at a title so the Spurs would make sense. He could be a better/slightly more expensive david west, going for a place to win instead of trying to cash in. Just please, not the Warriors...
I really like Beal as a player, but health has been a bitch to him. He could be a 20ppg, 5rpg, 4-5apg guy if he started 75-80 games and played over 30min a night, but the IF question is a problem. Although with Whiteside maturity is an IF for him, most or all FA's have at least one IF or question mark about them.

 

[Mecca of the “B” Team]

It said on the description that he would take less, just wants a chance at a title so the Spurs would make sense. He could be a better/slightly more expensive david west, going for a place to win instead of trying to cash in. Just please, not the Warriors...
I really like Beal as a player, but health has been a bitch to him. He could be a 20ppg, 5rpg, 4-5apg guy if he started 75-80 games and played over 30min a night, but the IF question is a problem. Although with Whiteside maturity is an IF for him, most or all FA's have at least one IF or question mark about them.

Totally agree.

With Beal's outside shooting, he and wall could be a top 3 backcourt for the next decade.

But, the guy just can't stay on the court.

Somebody is gonna give Whiteside a max deal.

He could totally live up to it.

Or

He could go the route of Jason Williams, Nets version.

I think he will get his shit together and is worth the risk.

Time will tell.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I think a lot of it is because the Cavs
chances of winning most games isn't affected by whether Love plays or
not.

yah- like the OKC road win.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Hottest team in the East right now are the Heat.

i sure hope they would beat a decimated bulls team, the horrible suns and awful 76'ers twice in a row....can they win a game against a good team before you call them the "hottest team in the league"?

charlotte is 8-2 in their last ten, miami 8-2 in their last ten, cleveland 7-3 in their last ten-


OKC is 4-6 in their last ten- kinda surprising there.

 

[LAD]

Totally agree.

With Beal's outside shooting, he and wall could be a top 3 backcourt for the next decade.

But, the guy just can't stay on the court.

Somebody is gonna give Whiteside a max deal.

He could totally live up to it.

Or

He could go the route of Jason Williams, Nets version.

I think he will get his shit together and is worth the risk.

Time will tell.

I think winning helps the maturation process a bit too.

 

[purguy12]

Looking forward to playing your Bulls on Friday with Butler back. Bulls is the one team I would really not want to see in the first round if they're healthy

Thats the Big Question, Can they be healthy.

U know who has looked good McDermott. He has showed me he can be a good 6th man. Come off the bench and make some shots and he can drive.

 

[WiggyRuss]

21 games left for the Cavs- current record is 44-17....Im thinking the Cavs go 17-4 down the stretch....and finish at 61-21.....I believe at the beginning of the season i predicted 62 or 63 wins for the Cavs....

considering i never thought Kyrie would be out till darn near January- the firing of Blatt, Thompsons holdout, Shumperts injury, Mozgov regressing and battling his lingering knee surgery etc- i gotta say it looks pretty good.

The funny thing is- if the Warriors had 11 losses right now- the Cavs would be getting a TON more credit for their performance-- i understand though- the Warriors and Spurs have raised the bar and upped the pressure- this isnt a normal year for the NBA...there are 4 teams- Spurs, OKC, Clev, GSW that are all EXTREMELY talented good teams that in any normal year would be at LEAST finals favorites if not championship favorites.

A 60+ win season for the Cavs considering all that has gone on is pretty darn good- ESPECIALLY if they really have it all come together the next 21 games.......

there arent very many good opponents left on the schedule either---

a road game in LA against the Clips,
a road game against the Jazz,
home game vs. the Mavs
road game vs. the Heat
2 road games against ATL
1 road game vs. Chicago

I think 17-4 and a 61 team is very attainable....might even be able to get 62-63 if they really come together- all though resting guys may become an issue at some point- especially if they wrap up the 1 seed.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Thats the Big Question, Can they be healthy.

U know who has looked good McDermott. He has showed me he can be a good 6th man. Come off the bench and make some shots and he can drive.

just avoid the Cavs 1st round- dont get the 8 or 7 seed and ill be happy.....if the Bulls are healthy- even without NOah- i gotta put them on near equal ground as the Raptors for biggest threat to the Cavs in the East just having Butler (prob the 3rd-4th best player in the East) and Gasol...

 

[gordontrue]

Yeah the Bulls will be a rough draw for whoever gets them in the 1st round.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

yah- like the OKC road win.

If you can think of, and single out 1 game in 2 seasons, then wouldn't that more validate my point?
Nobody's saying Love sucks.
IMO, he's just not what GM James thought he was.

 

[purguy12]

21 games left for the Cavs- current record is 44-17....Im thinking the Cavs go 17-4 down the stretch....and finish at 61-21.....I believe at the beginning of the season i predicted 62 or 63 wins for the Cavs....

considering i never thought Kyrie would be out till darn near January- the firing of Blatt, Thompsons holdout, Shumperts injury, Mozgov regressing and battling his lingering knee surgery etc- i gotta say it looks pretty good.

The funny thing is- if the Warriors had 11 losses right now- the Cavs would be getting a TON more credit for their performance-- i understand though- the Warriors and Spurs have raised the bar and upped the pressure- this isnt a normal year for the NBA...there are 4 teams- Spurs, OKC, Clev, GSW that are all EXTREMELY talented good teams that in any normal year would be at LEAST finals favorites if not championship favorites.

A 60+ win season for the Cavs considering all that has gone on is pretty darn good- ESPECIALLY if they really have it all come together the next 21 games.......

there arent very many good opponents left on the schedule either---

a road game in LA against the Clips,
a road game against the Jazz,
home game vs. the Mavs
road game vs. the Heat
2 road games against ATL
1 road game vs. Chicago

I think 17-4 and a 61 team is very attainable....might even be able to get 62-63 if they really come together- all though resting guys may become an issue at some point- especially if they wrap up the 1 seed.

Im sorry but Cavs are not even close to the spurs or GS. I think this Cavs team is worse then last years team. No one is scared of the Cavs. This is not a bash on them I just don't see a great team here. They are good because of LBJ(who has taken another step back). Yes they are the best team in the East but the East is catching up to them. I feel multiple teams have a shot to knock off the Cavs in the playoffs. Last year I think 99% of the world knew Cavs would be in the Finals. This year I think % is a lot lower.

 

[purguy12]

just avoid the Cavs 1st round- dont get the 8 or 7 seed and ill be happy.....if the Bulls are healthy- even without NOah- i gotta put them on near equal ground as the Raptors for biggest threat to the Cavs in the East just having Butler (prob the 3rd-4th best player in the East) and Gasol...

Also dont forget Rose is starting to look like the old Rose(yes he will never be that guy but he has put some games together and he is tough to guard.)

I need to see them play together a couple more games before I can put them at that level. This team has pissed me off this year and Im not ready to say they are a legit threat to anyone. They have the potential. Like i said it was nice to see their full starting line up play together for the 1st time against Houston. Tonight i want to see a W.

 

[gordontrue]

Im sorry but Cavs are not even close to the spurs or GS. I think this Cavs team is worse then last years team. No one is scared of the Cavs. This is not a bash on them I just don't see a great team here. They are good because of LBJ(who has taken another step back). Yes they are the best team in the East but the East is catching up to them. I feel multiple teams have a shot to knock off the Cavs in the playoffs. Last year I think 99% of the world knew Cavs would be in the Finals. This year I think % is a lot lower.

Disagree. The East has regressed - in terms of contenders - imo. Lots of solid teams... but down to 1 contending team (compared to 3 last year).

The diminished perception of the Cavs is due to the greatness of the Warriors and Spurs, not because of the East.

 

[purguy12]

Disagree. The East has regressed - in terms of contenders - imo. Lots of solid teams... but down to 1 contending team (compared to 3 last year).

The diminished perception of the Cavs is due to the greatness of the Warriors and Spurs, not because of the East.

Disagree BIG time. We agree to disagree. its all good.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Im sorry but Cavs are not even close to the spurs or GS. I think this Cavs team is worse then last years team. No one is scared of the Cavs. This is not a bash on them I just don't see a great team here. They are good because of LBJ(who has taken another step back). Yes they are the best team in the East but the East is catching up to them. I feel multiple teams have a shot to knock off the Cavs in the playoffs. Last year I think 99% of the world knew Cavs would be in the Finals. This year I think % is a lot lower.

like i was saying a few days ago- who can beat them in the East?

IF Toronto would have gotten a legit Pf- instead of Scola- id give them a little more of a chance- but it took Kyle Lowry to have the game of his life to beat the Cavs at home the other day....their talent has a ceiling- Lowry, DeRozan, Valncuinas is a solid top 3, but its not as if its great- and the rest of the roster is pretty ordinary

Boston has all the assets in the world to make a move but didnt-

A team headlined by Isiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley is simply not beating LeBron James in a series. No way.

Atlanta has taken a big step back this year. They shopped their entire team at the deadline, lost Carroll from last year.

Chicago has just been decimated by injuries- and as soon as i saw Rose playing well for a while- he of course pulled his hamstring- as we saw last year- Rose can still win you a game in a series- he just cant do it consistently. I love how Kevin Love matches up vs. Chicago and we missed that last year

Miami- if Miami does not have Bosh they are not even worth discussing- theres no chance.



I think the Cavs are BETTER than last year. I think they have a better coach, a better roster, and have played well together. They certainly are playing better as a team this year than last year.

They lost 2 games in the entire Eastern Conference Playoffs.....and were a LeBron James last second jumper from possibly being up 3-0 on the Warriors (albiet i total concede if the Cavs won game 1 there is no guarantee at all they win games 2 and 3 like they did)...

I just cant get from- losing 2 games in 3 series--- to pushing GOlden State with a team decimated by injuries to 6 games---- to saying the Cavs are more likely to lose pre-Finals than win the Finals. To me that just doesnt make sense and ignores all the evidence thats right in front of our faces.

If you can give me a legit reason why you think a team or teams in the East would have a prayer vs. the Cavs id love to listen. LeBron has not lost a series in the East since 2010....with Love, Irving, Thompson, Shumpert, Delly, Jefferson, Frye, Mo Williams, i just dont see them losing to anyone in the East more than once in a playoff series---- MAYBE TWICE if the Bulls get healthy.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Disagree. The East has regressed - in terms of contenders - imo. Lots of solid teams... but down to 1 contending team (compared to 3 last year).

The diminished perception of the Cavs is due to the greatness of the Warriors and Spurs, not because of the East.

exactly

who in the East besides the Cavs has any fire power?

The Bulls - if healthy- but the Cavs handled the Bulls and embarassed them on their home court last year

The Hawks- Cavs swept them 4-0 outta the playoffs last year when they were WAY better- all they did was lose Carroll and now lost splitter to injury as well

The Celtics simply dont have NEAR the firepower

none of these teams has a prayer of pushing a series to 7. and it would take immense luck just to get to 6.

 

[Bolts]

i sure hope they would beat a decimated bulls team, the horrible suns and awful 76'ers twice in a row....can they win a game against a good team before you call them the "hottest team in the league"?

charlotte is 8-2 in their last ten, miami 8-2 in their last ten, cleveland 7-3 in their last ten-


OKC is 4-6 in their last ten- kinda surprising there.

You mention the Heat beating bad/decimated teams and yet you list the hornets who in their 10 game stretch played the 76ers, suns, nets, bucks(all bad), and the inconsistent pacers 3x. Both teams lost their 2 toughest games, although the Heat won in Atlanta while the Hornets lost. Most playoff teams are good against losing teams and struggle against winning teams, only 6 teams in the league have a winning record vs .500 or better teams.

 

[gordontrue]

I think the Cavs are BETTER than last year. I think they have a better coach, a better roster, and have played well together. They certainly are playing better as a team this year than last year.