2021 NBA regular season thread

[tlance]

very close.

To me 1-11 is almost even

11-15 is what gives the west the slight advantage at the moment

No.

The best team in the league is in the West. All the really terrible teams are in the East.

I don’t believe the West has any truly terrible teams anymore. There will be a couple that get buried with bad resorts. But there is no Pistons in the West.

 

[bksballer89]

The best team in the league is in the West. All the really terrible teams are in the East.

This doesn't dispute anything I said lol. 1-11 is close to even. Slight edge to the west but 12-15 isn't very even.

You have 3 tiers roughly with teams 1-11 and they're very even imo

Tier 1 (legit title contenders) Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, and Nets.

Tier 2 (really good teams who can make a deep run in the playoffs) Blazers, Jazz, Nuggets, Rockets, Celtics, Heat, Sixers, Raptors

Tier 3 (good teams but likely have a hard time making it out of round 1/may miss out on the playoffs) Mavs, Suns, Pelicans, Warriors, Griz, Pacers, Magic, and Hawks.

Only adjustment after making this list off the top of my is head is I'll say 1-10 is very even instead of 1-11 because the 11th team in the East is likely the Hornets/Cavs/Knicks. 11-15 isn't close at all but when the playoffs come around in May, there will be very little difference in terms of competition. The top 8 will be very similar.

 

[tlance]

This doesn't dispute anything I said lol. 1-11 is close to even. Slight edge to the west but 12-15 isn't very even.

You have 3 tiers roughly with teams 1-11 and they're very even imo

Tier 1 (legit title contenders) Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, and Nets.

Tier 2 (really good teams who can make a deep run in the playoffs) Blazers, Jazz, Nuggets, Rockets, Celtics, Heat, Sixers, Raptors

Tier 3 (good teams but likely have a hard time making it out of round 1/may miss out on the playoffs) Mavs, Suns, Pelicans, Warriors, Griz, Pacers, Magic, and Hawks.

Only adjustment after making this list off the top of my is head is I'll say 1-10 is very even instead of 1-11 because the 11th team in the East is likely the Hornets/Cavs/Knicks. 11-15 isn't close at all but when the playoffs come around in May, there will be very little difference in terms of competition. The top 8 will be very similar.

Sure.

But in every tier the West is a little better.

Point being, at the start of every season this narrative gets pushed that the East is catching up.

A quick glance at where all the superstars reside tells a different story.

The East won’t catch up until multiple stars switch conferences, or many new ones blossom in the East. And of the last 3 drafts, 3 of the 4 potential superstar players are all West (Luka, Young, Zion, Ja).

 

[Black Adam]

Sure.

But in every tier the West is a little better.

Point being, at the start of every season this narrative gets pushed that the East is catching up.

A quick glance at where all the superstars reside tells a different story.

The East won’t catch up until multiple stars switch conferences, or many new ones blossom in the East. And of the last 3 drafts, 3 of the 4 potential superstar players are all West (Luka, Young, Zion, Ja).

"but the east is FAR superior. and the losers play in Zorroland"-buckalis

 

[CitySushi]

Heat twitter just might be the stupidest group of nba fans

Warriors Twitter is also up there but I’d still say the Lakers will continue to reign supreme on Twitter stupidity.

 

[CitySushi]

 

[tlance]

It is hilarious when Kawhi tries to be funny.

 

[DJ Fieri]

NBA to require players to wear contact sensors

The NBA is planning to require players and many team staffers to wear sensor devices during all team-organized activities outside of games starting Jan. 7, according to a league memo obtained by ESPN.

www.espn.com

 

[DJ Fieri]

Hannibal Leonard....

 

[WiggyRuss]

This doesn't dispute anything I said lol. 1-11 is close to even. Slight edge to the west but 12-15 isn't very even.

You have 3 tiers roughly with teams 1-11 and they're very even imo

Tier 1 (legit title contenders) Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, and Nets.

Tier 2 (really good teams who can make a deep run in the playoffs) Blazers, Jazz, Nuggets, Rockets, Celtics, Heat, Sixers, Raptors

Tier 3 (good teams but likely have a hard time making it out of round 1/may miss out on the playoffs) Mavs, Suns, Pelicans, Warriors, Griz, Pacers, Magic, and Hawks.

Only adjustment after making this list off the top of my is head is I'll say 1-10 is very even instead of 1-11 because the 11th team in the East is likely the Hornets/Cavs/Knicks. 11-15 isn't close at all but when the playoffs come around in May, there will be very little difference in terms of competition. The top 8 will be very similar.

I think the Pacers and Mavs probably deserve a bump to group 2. Raptors talent drain over the last couple years---- GAsol, Leonard and Ibaka, might be catching up with them. I might push them down.

 

[dtgold88]

arent they saying Cunningham is like slam dunk #1?

I've only heard suggs/Cade are 1 and 2. Might make it worth it for us to tank one more year. Gonna need some mystery injuries to do it as if healthy I think worse case is 10-11 seed.

 

[dtgold88]

This is extremely impressive

Can the Browns please follow their protocols (well, or their own)? Guess easier with 15 instead of 50+, but still.....

 

[dtgold88]

No.

The best team in the league is in the West. All the really terrible teams are in the East.

I don’t believe the West has any truly terrible teams anymore. There will be a couple that get buried with bad resorts. But there is no Pistons in the West.

Isn't that kind of what he said (West far better at bottom)? Best team in West does not make him wrong about 1-11. Isn't to say he is definitely right, but not having best team does not mean 1-11 can't be close.

 

[bksballer89]

Isn't that kind of what he said (West far better at bottom)? Best team in West does not make him wrong about 1-11. Isn't to say he is definitely right, but not having best team does not mean 1-11 can't be close.

Yeah im not sure why people acting like it isn't close until you get to the bottom. Acting like the east is as bad as it was in the early 2000's just isn't true

 

[Golden Spur]

Hornets Bench did well last night, two guys over 20, including Melo. He also was in for 29 minutes. Hayward had a bad shooting night, so good to see them win anyway. Maybe they're finding something,

 

[trojanfan12]

Yeah im not sure why people acting like it isn't close until you get to the bottom. Acting like the east is as bad as it was in the early 2000's just isn't true

I think part of the problem is that there are more teams with a real shot at coming out of the East than there are out of the West. There's also more "star power" in the West (although, now that Lebron is in the West, some have started to head East). lol

The Lakers are the prohibitive favorite to come out of the West and only the Clippers are given more than a punchers chance of taking them out.

The East has about 4 teams that could make it out and none, at the moment, that many give a real chance of beating the Lakers or Clippers in the finals.

 

[DJ Fieri]

I think the Pacers and Mavs probably deserve a bump to group 2. Raptors talent drain over the last couple years---- GAsol, Leonard and Ibaka, might be catching up with them. I might push them down.

I think the Raps could miss the playoffs or be a 7 or 8 seed....

 

[dtgold88]

Yeah im not sure why people acting like it isn't close until you get to the bottom. Acting like the east is as bad as it was in the early 2000's just isn't true

Even if you want to look at the very top, who are considered 4 best in West? Lakers, Clippers, Denver and maybe Portland or Utah? Bucks, Nets Cs and Heat really couldn't hang with them? want to say LAL in their own class, I get it, but that means the 3 West teams can't hang with them either.

 

[dtgold88]

I think part of the problem is that there are more teams with a real shot at coming out of the East than there are out of the West. There's also more "star power" in the West (although, now that Lebron is in the West, some have started to head East). lol

The Lakers are the prohibitive favorite to come out of the West and only the Clippers are given more than a punchers chance of taking them out.

The East has about 4 teams that could make it out and none, at the moment, that many give a real chance of beating the Lakers or Clippers in the finals.

which makes the Lakers head and shoulders above both conferences does not make the West so much better, right?

Not directing this at you but as absurd as thinking the SEC is so strong because Bama has been dominant.

Now if someone's opinion was just that they thought West was just a lot better that's fine. Just not because LAL superior to everyone.

 

[Wamu]

@WiggyRuss

The Cavs will turn things around before the Heat right?