5 on 5 Way too Early Edition
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 10:09 am
1. Who do you consider the favorites to win each conference and the Championship this year?
JNR: Sixers and Spurs. The Sixers have great talent and great cohesion, and the Spurs still have the offense that won them the title last year. Between those two, I’d pick the Sixers because few people can coach like BSH.
RPF: East- The 76ers West-Spurs
Nick Malone: I wouldn't count out the 76ers. Decimated by Injury last year, they still have a strong group that knows how to win the important games come post season time. If the Heat don't get back to the finals, this is probably it for their squad. Hawks got kissed by the TC Gods this year so they'll be a challenge as well. From the East, probably side with the 76'ers. I don't buy the Rockets hot start from the gate although they're a developing young team that can take that next step. Pacific could've gone either way last year between the Clippers or Warriors but I like the depth that the Clippers have put around Durant. Push come to shove, I see a finals of 76ers vs. Spurs and Spurs winning the ship for a second year in a row.
Balls O’Hard: In the East, you have to look at the Heat. They’re spending more money than anyone in the league and are loaded at every position. Anything less than a finals appearance is a complete and utter failure. In the West, I think it’s the Spurs who also are outspending everyone but the Heat. Eazy’s done a great job at acquiring talent, but not so great of a job refreshing that talent for cheaper alternatives. Still he has the most talented team in the league. In the Finals, I’ll take the Heat.
Loco: I don't love the offseason they had, but I see the Heat being right back there to represent the East. They'll have a tougher road this time though, with a rejuvenated Hawks team looking to cash in on a nice TC by Rudy Gay and the surprise signing of Carmelo Anthony.
In the West, I'm coping out. With what looks to be a resurgence of the MidBest division, I see the winner of the conference being that divisions winner. So what, I'm biased ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
2. What team with high hopes will ultimately end with a disapointing year end?
JNR: The Clippers. Having Kevin Durant should make you an insta contender, and they were in the finals two seasons ago. But the West is strong and eventually one great player won’t be enough.
RPF: Sorry Raby Baby but I have to say the Timberwolves. They cant seem to put it together in the post season and Bosh is getting frustrated in Minnesota.
Nick Malone: Wizards. I really like the versatility in roster they've built as a gritty team on the wings but fear they don't have a true point guard that can lead them up and down the court. They're one piece missing I think from really truly being a dangerous team in the East.
Balls O’Hard: Since we’ve already got started I’ll take a team who’s gotten off to a hot start and will ultimately fail fans. My vote is for the Rockets, who came exploding off the block like their team name. I’m not sold on their talent matching their record by the end of the year. I certainly think they’ll make the playoffs but I think they’ll end at a bottom 5 seed.
Loco: This is the question that I went back and forth on trying to come up with some criteria. So first we throw out the teams that are doing exactly what they want (Bucks, Raps) then toss out the teams that are already disappointing but more from the offseason (Knicks), and so that leaves you with finding a team that will be most disappointing relative to expectations. I think I'm gonna go with the Heat here. I just have to think that they believe they're a lock for a Championship after barely losing and adding $40+ million in salary this offseason. Anything less, barring injuries, and it would be a disappointing season for Heat fans..
3. Which team is most likely to make a big move? Guess what it will be.
JNR: Look for teams that are halfway there to make a move. Teams like the Pacers, Celtics, Wolves. For example, the Pacers will realize they missed Mozgov more than they thought and they’ll look for someone to man the middle defensively.
RPF: Denver Nuggets and I have source that tells me they are eye Fryeing a center from the garden state.
Nick Malone: Kings. I don't buy the 2-5 start. They have a boat load of young talent that could be packaged to land a superstar and be a real threat out west again. Just who that Superstar is? I'm not sure but he's probably in the East.
Balls O’Hard: The easy candidates are the trigger happy Bucks. We’re now in year 3 of a rebuild and the team is still sputtering out of the gate. I know a guy who’s close to GM Ian Quailman, and they talked at the beginning of the season. Quail was extremely excited about this young team. I think he wants to start winning or getting close to .500 now. The team is also imbalanced. Last year they traded a SF for another PG, which now makes them have 2 score first PGS. Then you see how poor they are with defensive talent. I think this is an easy answer.
Loco: No idea. It's hard to predict what GM's do, but if I had to make a guess, I think the Cavs are a team to watch. Special shoutout to all the teams over 100 million in cap spending though. The Cavs however, seem to have lost some footing in the division (blame Melo) and have a nice expiring to add some talent to their team in Salmons.
4. Is Kevin Durant the best player this league has ever seen?
JNR: No. I think prime TMac and Penny were better because they did more.
RPF: No, he is on his way. We cant forget the things, Shawn Kemp, Karl Malone, David Robinson, Tracy McGrady and others have done. He needs to win some divisions, conference and SLOE championships.
Nick Malone: No. Maybe it's because we only play the Clippers twice a year but when you've had to deal with the likes of Shawn Kemp, Penny, Rashard Lewis in his prime or even a Tom Gugliotta on a nightly basis, it puts things into context. Durant is great and worthy of his MVP status right now but best player ever? He has a bit a ways to go.
Balls O’Hard: He joins a list of the offensively most talented guys we’ve ever seen. But we’ve seen the Kemp/ Penny/ McGrady’s of the PBSL do it all and score at roughly the same rate before. If Durant becomes a rebounder/passer/ defender give me a call to discuss this again.
Loco: I think that he has a strong case for being the best offensive player ever already. And he certainly could one day be the SLOE G.O.A.T. But there's two sides of the ball, and call me a hater, but defense wlll always matter. So let's take a small trip in my Delorian to 1995. It was a time for boy bands, beanie babies and Coolio. And in California, it truly was a Gangsta's Paradise and at the top, was Shawn Kemp. This was the year he finally broke through and won a championship for Golden State and he did it in a dominating fashion, winning an All Star award, MVP (of the regular season and the playoffs), and a DPOY. While I'm sure teams go crazy to gameplan to stop Durant, there was a feeling that Kemp could carry any 8-9 guys and still be a threat to win. I'm just not there with Durant yet, but that doesn't mean he wont get there.
5. Outside of Anthony Davis, Which rookie has the brightest future ahead of them?
JNR: Give me Lillard. He can score in bunches already, and his efficiency will improve over time.
RPF: I'll choose a dark horse in Draymond Green. He will be great on defense with an outside shot and great passing from the small forward position. The Raptors stink so he will have a lot of chances to get going.
Nick Malone: Selfishly, Damian Lillard. Lillard has gotten off to a great start so far but his shooting average from the floor leaves a bit to be desired. But he's only played 9 games in his entire career. He'll go through dry spells but for how this game is evolving, I'm very fortunately and biased to have a guy like Lillard in New Orleans for many, many, years to come.
Balls O’Hard: Give me Daymond Green. It’ll be hard to prove with stats that he’s better than Lillard but hear me out. I’m a firm believer you need a certain amount of “blocks” to win a championship. X amount of passers/ X amount of scorers/ X amount of Post defenders/ X amount of Perm Defenders/ X amount of rebounders. With Lillard you get maybe 1 or two of those categories filled out. With Draymond you get them ALL except potentially a scorer. Green is almost a walking double-double at 9 ppg and 8 rebound per game already at the 3 spot. Add his terrific passing and elite defensive potential, and I probably would have gone Green #2 in the draft.
Loco: After AD, the draft seemingly broke down into guys that looked like they could be really good on one side of the ball (OK except Dray if he hits his potentials). And while it's easy to see that Middleton and Beal could be great outside threats or that Drummond can blossom into a DPOY type of center, it's hard to argue with the force Damian Lillard already looks to be on offense. Sure he could be more efficient, but a PG that can score at will is always something that will be in demand in the league and he looks the part already.
JNR: Sixers and Spurs. The Sixers have great talent and great cohesion, and the Spurs still have the offense that won them the title last year. Between those two, I’d pick the Sixers because few people can coach like BSH.
RPF: East- The 76ers West-Spurs
Nick Malone: I wouldn't count out the 76ers. Decimated by Injury last year, they still have a strong group that knows how to win the important games come post season time. If the Heat don't get back to the finals, this is probably it for their squad. Hawks got kissed by the TC Gods this year so they'll be a challenge as well. From the East, probably side with the 76'ers. I don't buy the Rockets hot start from the gate although they're a developing young team that can take that next step. Pacific could've gone either way last year between the Clippers or Warriors but I like the depth that the Clippers have put around Durant. Push come to shove, I see a finals of 76ers vs. Spurs and Spurs winning the ship for a second year in a row.
Balls O’Hard: In the East, you have to look at the Heat. They’re spending more money than anyone in the league and are loaded at every position. Anything less than a finals appearance is a complete and utter failure. In the West, I think it’s the Spurs who also are outspending everyone but the Heat. Eazy’s done a great job at acquiring talent, but not so great of a job refreshing that talent for cheaper alternatives. Still he has the most talented team in the league. In the Finals, I’ll take the Heat.
Loco: I don't love the offseason they had, but I see the Heat being right back there to represent the East. They'll have a tougher road this time though, with a rejuvenated Hawks team looking to cash in on a nice TC by Rudy Gay and the surprise signing of Carmelo Anthony.
In the West, I'm coping out. With what looks to be a resurgence of the MidBest division, I see the winner of the conference being that divisions winner. So what, I'm biased ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
2. What team with high hopes will ultimately end with a disapointing year end?
JNR: The Clippers. Having Kevin Durant should make you an insta contender, and they were in the finals two seasons ago. But the West is strong and eventually one great player won’t be enough.
RPF: Sorry Raby Baby but I have to say the Timberwolves. They cant seem to put it together in the post season and Bosh is getting frustrated in Minnesota.
Nick Malone: Wizards. I really like the versatility in roster they've built as a gritty team on the wings but fear they don't have a true point guard that can lead them up and down the court. They're one piece missing I think from really truly being a dangerous team in the East.
Balls O’Hard: Since we’ve already got started I’ll take a team who’s gotten off to a hot start and will ultimately fail fans. My vote is for the Rockets, who came exploding off the block like their team name. I’m not sold on their talent matching their record by the end of the year. I certainly think they’ll make the playoffs but I think they’ll end at a bottom 5 seed.
Loco: This is the question that I went back and forth on trying to come up with some criteria. So first we throw out the teams that are doing exactly what they want (Bucks, Raps) then toss out the teams that are already disappointing but more from the offseason (Knicks), and so that leaves you with finding a team that will be most disappointing relative to expectations. I think I'm gonna go with the Heat here. I just have to think that they believe they're a lock for a Championship after barely losing and adding $40+ million in salary this offseason. Anything less, barring injuries, and it would be a disappointing season for Heat fans..
3. Which team is most likely to make a big move? Guess what it will be.
JNR: Look for teams that are halfway there to make a move. Teams like the Pacers, Celtics, Wolves. For example, the Pacers will realize they missed Mozgov more than they thought and they’ll look for someone to man the middle defensively.
RPF: Denver Nuggets and I have source that tells me they are eye Fryeing a center from the garden state.
Nick Malone: Kings. I don't buy the 2-5 start. They have a boat load of young talent that could be packaged to land a superstar and be a real threat out west again. Just who that Superstar is? I'm not sure but he's probably in the East.
Balls O’Hard: The easy candidates are the trigger happy Bucks. We’re now in year 3 of a rebuild and the team is still sputtering out of the gate. I know a guy who’s close to GM Ian Quailman, and they talked at the beginning of the season. Quail was extremely excited about this young team. I think he wants to start winning or getting close to .500 now. The team is also imbalanced. Last year they traded a SF for another PG, which now makes them have 2 score first PGS. Then you see how poor they are with defensive talent. I think this is an easy answer.
Loco: No idea. It's hard to predict what GM's do, but if I had to make a guess, I think the Cavs are a team to watch. Special shoutout to all the teams over 100 million in cap spending though. The Cavs however, seem to have lost some footing in the division (blame Melo) and have a nice expiring to add some talent to their team in Salmons.
4. Is Kevin Durant the best player this league has ever seen?
JNR: No. I think prime TMac and Penny were better because they did more.
RPF: No, he is on his way. We cant forget the things, Shawn Kemp, Karl Malone, David Robinson, Tracy McGrady and others have done. He needs to win some divisions, conference and SLOE championships.
Nick Malone: No. Maybe it's because we only play the Clippers twice a year but when you've had to deal with the likes of Shawn Kemp, Penny, Rashard Lewis in his prime or even a Tom Gugliotta on a nightly basis, it puts things into context. Durant is great and worthy of his MVP status right now but best player ever? He has a bit a ways to go.
Balls O’Hard: He joins a list of the offensively most talented guys we’ve ever seen. But we’ve seen the Kemp/ Penny/ McGrady’s of the PBSL do it all and score at roughly the same rate before. If Durant becomes a rebounder/passer/ defender give me a call to discuss this again.
Loco: I think that he has a strong case for being the best offensive player ever already. And he certainly could one day be the SLOE G.O.A.T. But there's two sides of the ball, and call me a hater, but defense wlll always matter. So let's take a small trip in my Delorian to 1995. It was a time for boy bands, beanie babies and Coolio. And in California, it truly was a Gangsta's Paradise and at the top, was Shawn Kemp. This was the year he finally broke through and won a championship for Golden State and he did it in a dominating fashion, winning an All Star award, MVP (of the regular season and the playoffs), and a DPOY. While I'm sure teams go crazy to gameplan to stop Durant, there was a feeling that Kemp could carry any 8-9 guys and still be a threat to win. I'm just not there with Durant yet, but that doesn't mean he wont get there.
5. Outside of Anthony Davis, Which rookie has the brightest future ahead of them?
JNR: Give me Lillard. He can score in bunches already, and his efficiency will improve over time.
RPF: I'll choose a dark horse in Draymond Green. He will be great on defense with an outside shot and great passing from the small forward position. The Raptors stink so he will have a lot of chances to get going.
Nick Malone: Selfishly, Damian Lillard. Lillard has gotten off to a great start so far but his shooting average from the floor leaves a bit to be desired. But he's only played 9 games in his entire career. He'll go through dry spells but for how this game is evolving, I'm very fortunately and biased to have a guy like Lillard in New Orleans for many, many, years to come.
Balls O’Hard: Give me Daymond Green. It’ll be hard to prove with stats that he’s better than Lillard but hear me out. I’m a firm believer you need a certain amount of “blocks” to win a championship. X amount of passers/ X amount of scorers/ X amount of Post defenders/ X amount of Perm Defenders/ X amount of rebounders. With Lillard you get maybe 1 or two of those categories filled out. With Draymond you get them ALL except potentially a scorer. Green is almost a walking double-double at 9 ppg and 8 rebound per game already at the 3 spot. Add his terrific passing and elite defensive potential, and I probably would have gone Green #2 in the draft.
Loco: After AD, the draft seemingly broke down into guys that looked like they could be really good on one side of the ball (OK except Dray if he hits his potentials). And while it's easy to see that Middleton and Beal could be great outside threats or that Drummond can blossom into a DPOY type of center, it's hard to argue with the force Damian Lillard already looks to be on offense. Sure he could be more efficient, but a PG that can score at will is always something that will be in demand in the league and he looks the part already.
