Are the Pacers the favorites after Miami?

[Attractive and Rich]

Took the Heat to 7 games -

And now have turned Hansbrough, Augustine, Young

INTO

Scola, Granger, Watson

You got to believe Stephenson will continue to improve/play a little more in control. Paul George will continue to improve.

SCARY team.

 

[Heatles84]

Ya the Pacers are legit. It'll be interesting though how Granger coming back effects Paul George (ie taking touches away from him), as I think George is the better of the two. Before I said trade Granger for bench pieces. But with the acquisitions that you mentioned, that's no longer needed. It should be Miami's toughest challenge next year, next to a potential Finals rematch with the Spurs who will also be better.

 

[Heatles84]

Also, don't forget Copeland. Having a stretch 4 that hit can hit 3's like him is scary.

 

[Jims_Doors]

Favorites in the East? No....I have the Bulls 2nd, Indiana 3rd, then the Nets 4th.

 

[shitsho]

No. They just match up with the Heat very well. Same with the Bulls. I dont think they can beat any of the teams they may come out of the West.

 

[Attractive and Rich]

Also, don't forget Copeland. Having a stretch 4 that hit can hit 3's like him is scary.

Forgot about Copeland - love that signing. Although both him and Scola cannot play a lick of defense I guess they are banking on the starters having a good enough defense and the offense was more of the problem.

I think Granger is a perfect shooter coming off the bench for the Pacers. Do not think they should trade him at all.

 

[bksballer89]

No

 

[Attractive and Rich]

No one has even seen the Nets play and they have a brand new head coach. Who knows how that will even work? How about we wait before we anoint them with ANYTHING?

 

[OregonDucks]

No one can beat the best roster in the NBA. Heat win 3 straight and disband after this year.

Heat fans become extinct as they all follow LBJ and become Laker fans.

 

[wildturkey]

They're legit title contenders now. I know they played Miami very well last year but I didn't think they could win a championship with that bench. They're advantage with Miami was just match ups. But they've remedied that this year. They're going all in this year with good role players because its their best shot at a title. George is due up for a max extension. Once he resigns, they're going to be dipping into the tax, which a team like Indy absolutely can't afford and will thus have to start dismantling some of its current roster in favor of cheaper role players in a year or so.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Short answer, Yes. They are my favorite out of the East with Miami just a shade behind. This is all dependent on if Wade can be healthy and/or take fewer touches and how many minutes the Birdman^2 can give. A couple weeks in and I would never move the Heat lower than a smidge behind Indy but they could get quite a bit higher than Indy.

No one has even seen the Nets play and they have a brand new head coach. Who knows how that will even work? How about we wait before we anoint them with ANYTHING?

Calling them a 4 seed is not anointing them but I think that is a very high placement. The problem is who is really going to be more battle tested with with fire power in the East? Give me Indy and Heat as top tier 8 or 9s (1-10). Most likely the Bulls will come in at a high 6 to mid 7. New York is a playoff joke. They will sell tickets and win games but not in the payoffs so I will not even rate them. Then maybe the Cavs or the Nets. Give me the Nets over the Cavs in a series of course they probably will not play each other.

No one can beat the best roster in the NBA. Heat win 3 straight

Hopeful

and disband after this year.

Doubtful

Heat fans become extinct as they all follow LBJ

Heat will become my 2nd favorite team, with Riley and Spo there they have made me a fan regardless of the players.

and become Laker fans.

hahaha this has been discussed soooo much...and no

 

[Black Belt Disciple]

The Nets will be better than Pacers. Bet the farm.

 

[Am I Blue Through it All?]

The Pacers have improved themselves at every position save the one that beat them against the Heat. They still have 4 small forwards. They need a real point guard. Hill is a nice combo guard, but he could not handle the Heat press.

If the Pacers can acquire a real point guard ( or in the off chance that Sloan kid plays against the big boys like he did in the summer league) there is not team in the league that will be able to compete with them.

 

[Black Adam]

The Pacers have improved themselves at every position save the one that beat them against the Heat. They still have 4 small forwards. They need a real point guard. Hill is a nice combo guard, but he could not handle the Heat press.

If the Pacers can acquire a real point guard ( or in the off chance that Sloan kid plays against the big boys like he did in the summer league) there is not team in the league that will be able to compete with them.

still, they ARE a matchup nightmare against the Heat and even as they stand right now they could easily give them a 7 game series. should be interesting to see if they get any better this upcoming season...

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

The Pacers have improved themselves at every position save the one that beat them against the Heat. They still have 4 small forwards. They need a real point guard. Hill is a nice combo guard, but he could not handle the Heat press.

If the Pacers can acquire a real point guard ( or in the off chance that Sloan kid plays against the big boys like he did in the summer league) there is not team in the league that will be able to compete with them.

As of today, the odds to win the Eastern Conference are:
Heat +110
Bulls +400
Nets +700
Pacers +800

While I don't have any reason to think a healthy Heat team wouldn't prevail over any team in a best of 7, the value is horrible on them IMO.

The Pacers IMO are for sure the best value as I am not at all sold on the Nets and I give the Pacers as good a shot as the Bulls.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Turnup nailed every thing but I do not think the Bulls will be as good as the Pacers.

If these lines were based completely on skill rather than market price I imagine they would look something like this:

Heat +250
Indy +350
Bulls +500
Nets +1000
Knicks +LOL you cant seriously be willing to bet them?

 

[Am I Blue Through it All?]

Small point, I suppose, but Lance Stephenson really needs to improve his ball handling and outside shooting to continue to start. If you have seen how much Orlando Johnson has improved this summer, you will know what I mean. And Orlando is also 6'5' and a real man.

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

They are probably slightly better than MIAMI in that particular matchup.

I would now pick Indiana to beat Miami.
But, I would not pick Indiana to win the east without the right matchups.

They essentially had a brain-fart in game 1, or they might have beaten Miami this year.
They added 4 solid pieces to a very young team WHILE the very old team Miami loses Miller and does nothing but get older in the offseason.

Miami, Chicago, and maybe even the Nets are more versatile in other matchups.
Indiana just has a perfect matchup exploitation versus the HEAT. They are not better overall.

Miami will be the favorite to win the east, but they might not be able to beat Indiana.

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Indiana just has a perfect matchup exploitation versus the HEAT. They are not better overall.

I completely agree with you but I also think they are #2 in the East. I think they will beat the Bulls and Nets in 7 games. The Knicks will be worse this year. They might be a 4 seed depending on how the Nets turn out.

I hope the Bulls and Pacers are in the same bracket and the Heat in the other.

 

[Black Adam]

I completely agree with you but I also think they are #2 in the East. I think they will beat the Bulls and Nets in 7 games. The Knicks will be worse this year. They might be a 4 seed depending on how the Nets turn out.

I hope the Bulls and Pacers are in the same bracket and the Heat in the other.

whatta suprise...:rollseyes:

as they used to say in days past, "to BE the best, you gotta BEAT the best." lol bandwagoners would LOVE for these Heat geeks to take the easy route...