The season starts today … :dhimpak:
Some highlights of the offseason
So, what do ya think? Miami and Spurs in the Finals?
Will Phil Make the difference this time in LA?
All of it starts today … two games on TNT tonight
8 p.m. - Nuggets at Spurs
10:30 p.m. - Mavericks at Suns
Re: Nba 2005/2006
Phil will make a difference in the long run (2-3 years). Lakers have saved cap money and will be using to in next couple of years to land a franchise player. This year, they just hope to make it to the playoffs. Last year, Lakers didnt make the playoffs for the first time in 14 years which is the reason Zen master Phil is back.
Miami is putting together all the pieces for a championship team, with Shaq Diesel and Wade in the mix, they are a contender for the title this year from the East. Pistons who?
San Antonio will as always be favorites from the West. (Remember Amare Stoudemire of Suns is out for the season).
Re: Nba 2005/2006
I thought they already landed a franchise player for long term in the form of Kobe Bryant. I think they would be looking for a number of solid players over the period of next 2-3 years rather than going for a single player to recreate the same magic of Kobe & Shaq. I honestly don’t know any center in the league with the same amount of impact as Shaq that the Lakers would be able to sign.
And Phoenix will be intresting team this year for a number of reasons. Firstly, Quentin and Joe are gone. Then Amare would be out of the lineup for a long period of time. After that, people will be looking to see if Steve Nash can improve upon, or maintain, the same level of performance that got him the MVP award last season. But this season, they have greater and that is a definite plus.
As for the favourites, there is no question. Miami is by far the favourite in the east, though people seem to overlook the fact that all those new signees might not have any chemistry with each other, and San Antonio is definitely the favourite in the West.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
San Antonio is deeper than ever... Finley lightened it up in the 4th today ... very dangerous team i say... Barkley said it right.... even if one of the stars gets injured, they will remain the favorites [except Tim Duncan that is]
I am looking forward to watch the Lakers... Zen master is a mysterious guy... donno wat he has got for us to see in the regular season. The problem with Lakers is that they are not deep and they lack inside presence... I still don't understand wat made Phil come back... other than the millions of $s that he is getting. They have lost Butler, Atkins and Grant.... Well, we will see tomorrow when the play nuggets.
Washington has got a good team this year... They should be abe to go far ..
Other than that... nothing too exciting this season... Last year it was Kobe vs. Shaq hysteria ...+ more blockbuster trades...
Re: Nba 2005/2006
It will be a miracle if Wolves make the playoffs this year. :(
Pacers are my pick to win it all.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
he’s only out for four months, he’s supposed to be back in time for the playoffs
Re: Nba 2005/2006
Yeah, so he IS out for the entire season. And even if he comes back by the time playoffs start, you can’t expect him to be back to his 100%. It will take several games for him to get back in his top shape.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
You don’t interpret “entire season” to encompass both the regular season and the post season?
Re: Nba 2005/2006
Lakers started pretty good.. especially Kobe... 36.5 I m so Happy!
Re: Nba 2005/2006
For many teams, the regular season is their entire season. What if Phoenix doesn’t make the post-season (though unlikely but not completely out of the question)?
Re: Nba 2005/2006
yup.. He gets some credit but mostly kobe is doing the work!!
Re: Nba 2005/2006
good point
Re: Nba 2005/2006
SO wats up ppl? shocking results for some of the teams... Whats up with rockets??? Knicks????
Re: Nba 2005/2006
Pat Riley is back as coach of the Miam Heat. It would be really interesting to see how the Heat respond and how far they go in the playoffs.
**Jerry Buss**: Lakers owner
**Pat Riley**: Miami Heat President turned coach. He won 4 NBA titles as Lakers coach during the Showtime era in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988
T.J Simers article from LA Times:
**Buss' Decision on O'Neal Leads to Heavy Discussion**](http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-simers15dec15,1,1216752.column?coll=la-headlines-sports)
I was telling the wife the other day, whenever you see Jerry Buss, he’s usually with someone who has a very nice body.
She wasn’t all that impressed, but now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Buss with a fat person, or even someone pleasantly plump like Shaquille O’Neal a few years back, so I wasn’t surprised when Buss dumped Shaq.
Most people disagreed with Buss’ decision to trade Shaq, and still believe he made a mistake — blaming, of course, Kobe Bryant for that.
(I think it goes without saying around here that if anything goes wrong with the Lakers, it’s Kobe’s fault, and it’s probably Kobe’s fault that everyone feels that way.)
Now I happen to think Buss had it right when he looked at Shaq’s body and decided it would give out sooner than later, and now thanks to Pat Riley’s return, we’re going to find out.
“I think Laker fans are going to say, ‘OK, let’s see now who was right,’ but to me it’s obvious I did the right thing,” Buss said, while watching his team take on Memphis. “I’d make the same decision 100 out of 100 times. To me, the risk-reward ratio wasn’t there.”
Laker fans know what kind of taskmaster Riley can be, and how relentless he is in demanding the best in practices and games — night in and night out — and so now Shaq’s body is going to be put to the test.
“I know how [Riley] worked, but whether he’s mellowed or not and will make some accommodations [for Shaq], I don’t know,” Buss said. "But I know what Magic used to say about Riley: ‘You better be able to run the extra mile.’ "
Shaq scored 30 points in his first game for Riley, Riley making sure Shaq had the chance to dominate. “We’re going to make him earn his money,” Riley said, and I would have liked to see the reaction on the face of the Big Sensitive One when he read that in the paper.
Shaq had two years remaining on his deal with the Lakers when he insisted on a contract extension for megabucks, which in part prompted Buss to trade him.
“It was not only a question of whether the man was going to be in shape, but what were his true salary demands going to be,” Buss said, while saying he still doesn’t have a clear idea of what’s involved with the reported $100-million, five-year extension Shaq signed with Miami.
"I was looking at the number of games he missed over his career, and if he missed *this many* when young, wasn't it more likely he was going to miss *this many* when he was old? It was my simplistic calculation, but coupled with his salary demands it put me in an untenable situation."
Once traded to Miami, Shaq got himself into South Beach shape, and finished just behind **Steve Nash** in MVP voting. A thigh bruise and an injury to **Dwyane Wade** sabotaged the Heat's playoff run last season.
This year, Shaq broke down early, losing five weeks because of an ankle sprain. A sign of what is to come, or a fluke injury?
“I love the guy, and if he plays until he’s 42, God bless him,” Buss said. “Some people think I had a problem with him because of things he said, but I called him several times wanting to sit down, have lunch and explain what I was thinking.”
Shaq never got back to Buss, and now he’s going to be busy as Riley’s workhorse. At season’s end, if Riley is still getting big-time production out of Shaq, the Heat might compete for the NBA title, which would certainly rekindle talk that Buss let Shaq go prematurely. Kobe’s fault, of course.
A broken-down Shaq, however, who is unable to keep pace with Riley’s physical demands and carry the Heat to the finish line, would certify Buss a visionary.
My money is on Buss, and although the wife might disagree, knowing his eye for young talent — I think you have to go with the experience he has when it comes to knowing just the right time to trade in the old for the new.
I lack that experience.
** AND SO what does Buss think about his 2005 Lakers?**
“I was screaming and hollering so much the other night [against Dallas], I forgot to finish my dinner,” he said. "You have to give it to Phil Jackson]. For millions of years, it’s been, 'Is it Phil? Or isn’t it Phil? If this doesn’t convince people [he can coach], come on. If he continues to improve this team, can you imagine?
"What if** Kwame Brown** turns out to be a legitimate No. 1 choice? What if **Andrew Bynum** develops into something special? What if Kobe has the best five years ever? What if **Lamar Odom** learns to adapt? And how about **Smush Parker**?"
As Buss knows, the Lakers began the six-game trip they completed Wednesday night with most people expecting them to get smushed.
"I'm flabbergasted too," Buss said of the Lakers' 5-1 trip. "But I sure like what I'm seeing."
Re: Nba 2005/2006
I still think Pistons are elite of Eastern Conference. Even if Miami reaches NBA Finals, Spurs will take of them in 7-game series.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
Alrighty Guys.... .
The game of the season is here..
LAKERS (15-11) at HEAT (15-12)
Both teams playing good ball lately.... Shaq is scoring more under Riley and Kobe has been awesome as well... so here they meet again in the hyped up again on Christmas day..
Heat lost to the Nets in their last game and then got a 'little' session with Coach Riley who did so much that Phil Jackson even got nervous.. He said something like "Everyone behaves a little better when a Principal walks in the room... Heat shows that respect for Riley"
Heat has got to stop Kobe and easy three pointers... while Lakers have got to come up with a strategy to contain SHAQ... Overall, Heat has more weapons but knowing PHIL, he must have something figured out for this "special" game.
My pick: Heat by 5+
Re: Nba 2005/2006
your pick was right on the money Lakers 92 Heat 97. Difference in the game was Heat benc outscoring Lakers bench 33 to 10. And this 33 included Gay Payton’s 21 pts, who prolly had his biggest game scoring wise in the last 10 years and played good defense agaisnt Kobe.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore?gid=2005122514
Re: Nba 2005/2006
^ True... Payton was too much for the Lakers... The game was entertaining -- playoff like environment... Two Legendary coaches with a hall of fame player on each team... And the game went down the wire... Thats what you a call a BALL GAME.
Kobe had an average game and Laker bench couldn't bring anything extraordinary, actually they were below average...
Shaq is no where near the SHAQ he was... he can't get any shots to go in ... the guy got stopped by Kwame Brown... Jerry Bus must be a happy man... Lets see if SHAQ can make a comeback and lead his team to the NBA Finals atleast.
Re: Nba 2005/2006
Detroit flat out spanked Spurs last night, basically right from the opening tip off. I mean, you know it's not a good night when the fans of the home team start cheering when the lead got down to 10. Sir Charles said one of his best comments: * "When you make a 10-0 run, and still found yourself down by 10, that ain't a run."*
Props to Detroit. Certainly, the best team in the NBA without a shadow of doubt.