2021-2022 NBA Season

[WiggyRuss]

I do not. The Heat when healthy is better than the Bulls. I'll give you the Nets and Bucks but Miami is better than Chicago if both are 100%

hmmm....

i might have said that pre-season but not anymore.

DeRozan lost some respect for his game the last couple of seasons but has proven he is a big piece. Ball is playing great. LaVine is a monster. Caruso was a great defensive pickup that is going to be on an All NBA defensive team. Vucevic is a very good scorer and rebounder. The Patrick Williams injury hurts them a lot since he was a good young defender and athlete, but I like them as a group more than Miami.

Miami relies a lot on a very old guy in Lowry and a very young guy in Herro. Chicago, I think, has a better roster to win right now. Ball, LaVine, Derozan, Vucevic are all vets that are still in, or very close to their primes. Herro isnt in his prime yet and Lowry is passed his prime.

 

[bksballer89]

hmmm....

i might have said that pre-season but not anymore.

DeRozan lost some respect for his game the last couple of seasons but has proven he is a big piece. Ball is playing great. LaVine is a monster. Caruso was a great defensive pickup that is going to be on an All NBA defensive team. Vucevic is a very good scorer and rebounder. The Patrick Williams injury hurts them a lot since he was a good young defender and athlete, but I like them as a group more than Miami.

Miami relies a lot on a very old guy in Lowry and a very young guy in Herro. Chicago, I think, has a better roster to win right now. Ball, LaVine, Derozan, Vucevic are all vets that are still in, or very close to their primes. Herro isnt in his prime yet and Lowry is passed his prime.

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo got traded to another team?

 

[WiggyRuss]

if the Sixers make a good trade for Simmons I would probably put them 3rd.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo got traded to another team?

well obviously Jimmy and Bam are in their primes.

id grade Robinson and Caruso pretty evenly since both are specialists at the top of their specialties.

I just think that LaVine, DeRozan, Ball, Vucevic, Caruso is better than Butler, Bam, Lowry, Herro, Robinson. If Lowry was 32 and Herro 24 I might think different.

 

[WiggyRuss]

I mean- dont underate Vucevic. He is no joke. the year before he came over he was scoring almost 25 a game with almost 12 boards a game--- and now he is their 3rd or 4th best player.

Ball is a very good defender and distributor and now all of a sudden can shoot. LaVine is now 26 and in his prime- and we will get to see if he is just a stats guy or if he can be a real All Star now that he has a team around him- and thus far the returns look pretty good.

I wish the Cavs got Caruso - becuase the guy is a monster defensively on the perimeter and can run and finish.

If Bam gets more aggressive and has a little bit "I can put this team on my back" i think that could change things. Bam is phenomenally talented but he still feels like a guy that defers a little bit.

 

[bksballer89]

well obviously Jimmy and Bam are in their primes.

id grade Robinson and Caruso pretty evenly since both are specialists at the top of their specialties.

I just think that LaVine, DeRozan, Ball, Vucevic, Caruso is better than Butler, Bam, Lowry, Herro, Robinson. If Lowry was 32 and Herro 24 I might think different.

You also failed to mention PJ Tucker. He will have a impact on any series the Heat play because of his defense. Can't completely ignore defense when the Heat can throw a lineup out there including Bam, PJ, and Butler. All very good/great defenders

Also you are talking like Ball is some 15 year vet while Herro is in year 3. Ball is in year 5 with no playoffs experience. Herro is in year 3 and is approaching 30 games played in the playoffs

 

[Shanemansj13]

GG in Chicago

 

[WiggyRuss]

If everyone was healthy I'd rate the East as:

1. Nets
2. Bucks
3. Bulls
4. Heat
5. Sixers
6. Hawks
7. Celtics
8. Cavs
9. Hornets
10. Raptors
11. Pacers
12. Knicks

 

[DJ Fieri]

ehhh....the Browns are prob. screwed...but we shall see who comes back tomorrow. They still have about 40% of their roster on the Covid list.

if Baker or Keenum come back maybe the Browns have a shot.

Raiders d-line is legit and Browns o-line is mostly backups- in some cases 3rd or 4th stringers

if they have that kind of line in front of a 3rd string QB who hasnt taken a snap this year its gonna be rough.

plus practically their whole defensive backfield beside Ward is on the list or hurt. No Newsome, Hill, Harrison, Johnson, etc.....

the o-line, qb, and defensive backfield positions are gutted.

Crosby and Yannick have been very good. Pissed me off they have done the same thing as the last 2 seasons, started out good and faded down the stretch, This is a must win to keep any chance at a WC alive (obviously). And we both play in pretty stacked divisions.

 

[tlance]

If everyone was healthy I'd rate the East as:

1. Nets
2. Bucks
3. Bulls
4. Heat
5. Sixers
6. Hawks
7. Celtics
8. Cavs
9. Hornets
10. Raptors
11. Pacers
12. Knicks

Haha.

Shocking that you would rank the Wizards below the Knicks and Pacers.

 

[WiggyRuss]

You also failed to mention PJ Tucker. He will have a impact on any series the Heat play because of his defense. Can't completely ignore defense when the Heat can throw a lineup out there including Bam, PJ, and Butler. All very good/great defenders

Also you are talking like Ball is some 15 year vet while Herro is in year 3. Ball is in year 5 with no playoffs experience. Herro is in year 3 and is approaching 30 games played in the playoffs

I like Herro a lot- like I said- if the draft was re-done today- he would spring up from 13th to no worse than 4th. But he is still 21 coming off a sophomore season where he underachieved relative to expectations and kinda looked like shit in the playoff series last year where they got swept.

PJ Tucker is a solid role player--- but i dont think its coincidence he just hurt his knee after being thrust into the lineup and playing more minutes for a few games in a row than he should.

now- i dont think their is a monstrous difference between the Heat and Bulls- and it certainly isnt unreasonable to think LaVine, Vucevic, Derozan, Ball, Caruso is better overall.

If Herro keeps getting better and Butler stays healthy, and Bam gets a little more fire in him- that could change.

 

[WiggyRuss]

Haha.

Shocking that you would rank the Wizards below the Knicks and Pacers.

lol sorry forgot about hte Wiz. put them above the Raptors.

 

[Shanemansj13]

If everyone was healthy I'd rate the East as:

1. Nets
2. Bucks
3. Bulls
4. Heat
5. Sixers
6. Hawks
7. Celtics
8. Cavs
9. Hornets
10. Raptors
11. Pacers
12. Knicks

Idk Hawks haven’t found their footing early on. They have the best player but right now the Cavs seem to be playing better. Also, might put Philly below CLE too, not having Sinmons OR any value for him right now they are just a different team. Boston is a tough team to judge.
Long season.

 

[WiggyRuss]

@tlance

but honestly- not much difference at all between the Raptors, Hornets, Cavs, Wizards this year.....not too much difference between those 4 and the Hawks and Celtics.

Sixers and Heat have more upside if they get healthy/make trade.

 

[WiggyRuss]

the Cavs do have some upside though comparing them to those teams.

Rubio and Love are legit NBA players if they are used right and healthy. If Love keeps it up, and gets his groove back, the Cavs could separate themselves.

that along with if the Cavs young guys stay consistent. So hard to ask an Okoro who is 20 to stay consitent--- but if him and Mobley do stay consistent and Love and Rubio stay healthy, Cavs can separate from that pack a little bit.

I mean- the Cavs bench of Rubio, Love, Osman is pretty fucking good compared to most teams if they keep doing what they have been doing. Who in the entire East can bring guys off the bench like that? Big BIG "IF" though- on Love- if he can stay healthy- continue to put up 40%+ from 3, and 90%+ from the FT line and rebound as good as he has in a per minute basis.

plus most games Mobley has ever played in his life is like what? 30? playing 80+ games is a lot different.


I have no worries about Garland. He is a stud. Allen has a good shot at making the All Star team too if hekeeps it up and the Cavs stop blowing everyone out and he goes to the bench for garbage time.

 

[bksballer89]

Doesn't make sense what the Suns did to Charlotte tonight

 

[WiggyRuss]

Idk Hawks haven’t found their footing early on. They have the best player but right now the Cavs seem to be playing better. Also, might put Philly below CLE too, not having Sinmons OR any value for him right now they are just a different team. Boston is a tough team to judge.
Long season.

right. I agree with all that.

only thing for me is that Embiid is such a monster. He is easily a top 10 guy and no one else has one of those in that group. A good Simmons trade could get them as high as 3rd in the East.

 

[tlance]

@tlance

but honestly- not much difference at all between the Raptors, Hornets, Cavs, Wizards this year.....not too much difference between those 4 and the Hawks and Celtics.

Sixers and Heat have more upside if they get healthy/make trade.

I agree.

I don’t think the Wizards are top 8 when it is all said and done. Probably in the play in game though.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Is Nunn going to play this season?

 

[DJ Fieri]

Monk and Nunn were 2 signings I never expected.