2008/2009 NBA Season Discussion

**Trajan** · October 29, 2008, 05:50 PM

Welcome to your TWC 08/09 NBA Season Thread

That's right fellow NBA fans, it's that time of the year again. NBA basketball is back. For some of us, it's been a short wait with the NBA Finals and Olympics but for most, the wait couldn't have been longer. Many teams have improved. The west and east have definitely become better and if we thought last season was exciting, this season is going to be crazy. Can the Celtics sustain that hunger that got them the title last season and repeat? Can the Lakers with a healthy Andrew Bynum and a new mind set on defense make it back to the Finals and finish the job? Will a different team go all the way and make their statement for an NBA Championship. We've got a long road ahead us and it's time to put all that hype aside and see which teams really have that thing to become contenders.

The season began yesterday and we had three games to start it off.

Cavs @ Celtics - 85/90

Trailblazers @ Lakers - 76/96

Bucks @ Bulls - 85/90

**therussian** · October 29, 2008, 06:15 PM

Sucks for Portland that that guy got injured......again.

Go Celtics!

**Anachronist** · October 29, 2008, 06:16 PM

Um... Go Spurs Go!

**Trajan** · October 29, 2008, 06:29 PM

There's some awesome games today. I'm looking forward to watching the Heat/Knicks. I definitely want to see how the new Knicks are going to look. Spurs and Suns. That's going to be an awesome opener. And tomorrow it's get sick. The NBA really scheduled a lot of good match ups on opening week.

**bushbush** · October 29, 2008, 09:58 PM

man rockets what a horrible debut lol

they won but boy the offense looks

lol...that was a hard battle against...guess whom...grizzly....darn...

but anyways, a light heart moment.

pop plays a joke on shaq's offseason remark on hack-a-shaq by using that 5 sec into the game.

**CDMan477** · October 30, 2008, 11:43 AM

I enjoy the college game better. They still play actual basketball. I have to give props to Popovich's beard though. Haven't seen such serious fuzz like that in a while. It's an actual work of art.

**Scipio Afracanis** · October 30, 2008, 02:35 PM

Rooting fot the Nash and the Big Cactus,the Rockets (For gosh sake plz let T-mac and Yao play together healthy for most of the year,+ Artest = playoffs......PLZ!),the Celtics with that great D and the Holy Trinity and the Cav's because I luv me some LJ!

Rooting against anything Lakers(But Kobe did help USA win in China so I wouldn't be as upset as last year if they won against Boston)
Anything Pistons(But they are kind of the old guard in the east so.........maybe kind of pity them?)
No Hornets or Spurs either(Unless they knock out each other or the Lakers)

I draw my line in the sand early and come playoff time I hope some of those teams are in the playoffs.

**Trajan** · October 30, 2008, 05:08 PM

Lakers looking good but still awaiting a true test for our new offensive and defensive strategies.

That test is coming on a week long series of top matches starting with the Rockets on Nov. 9, then the Mavs and Hornets in a back 2 back, then ending with the Pistons. Bring it on.

Some real good games tonight on TNT. Rockets and Mavs followed by Hornets and Suns.

**bushbush** · October 30, 2008, 09:53 PM

what a game between rockets and mavs lol....first 3 quarters...no defense LMAO...4th quarter Rocket D turned on and Ron Artest went on fire. Tough game....

-t-mac still not 100%, no elevation on shots or layups
-rockets miss too many layups..
-dirk is good, but chokes again
-yao is a beast, a constant factor that kept rox in game.

**saneel** · October 31, 2008, 05:06 PM

For this season my favorites are Suns.

**Trajan** · October 31, 2008, 05:58 PM

Speaking of the Suns, that was one crazy game last night between them and the Hornets. Freaking Posey man, the guy is really worth every penny. I still can't figure out why the Celtics let him go.

**Celsius** · October 31, 2008, 10:19 PM

Im goin for the Hornets.

**Shazbot** · November 01, 2008, 04:31 PM

My Warriors, my Warriors.

If the loss of Baron Davis wasn't enough, an evil moped had to hurt Monta Ellis. Al Harrington wants out and Stephen Jackson doesn't have enough to be the team leader. Corey Maggette will throw up 20 shots a game and make 8, and our rookies will get zero experience as long as Don Nelson is in charge.

It's going to be a tough year and starting out 0-2 doesn't help.

**MadBurgerMaker** · November 01, 2008, 11:30 PM

Oh hey the Spurs have already lost two games.

**NaptownKnight** · November 02, 2008, 02:07 AM

Pacers start out well, demolishing the Cs and playing with Detroit. Might be a good year for them, way too early to tell.

**bushbush** · November 02, 2008, 02:30 AM

Originally Posted by NaptownKnight

Pacers start out well, demolishing the Cs and playing with Detroit. Might be a good year for them, way too early to tell.

nice win by the pacers.

anyone looking forward to the rox vs celtic game next tuesday?

**Trajan** · November 03, 2008, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by bushbush

nice win by the pacers.

anyone looking forward to the rox vs celtic game next tuesday?

Of course, I voted for it.

Originally Posted by Viking Prince

For such trades to work, each party has to believe there is a net benefit to the trade. Both teams have already started the season with plans and players in place. Will such a trade improve this season or simply disrupt the team balance that was in place?

I think it depends on when the trade is made. The season began a week ago so it's not a bad time. From what I heard on AM570, the Pistons got the better deal because now they have an up tempo point guard who can run the floor and create easy shots for his teammates. That's something they didn't have with Billups. And worse come to worse, if Iverson doesn't make out well in Detroit, that's what like over 20 mil cap space freed. Also Rasheed Wallace's 13 mil contract is expiring right? Dumars could be in the hunt for Lebron James in 2010.

**Viking Prince** · November 03, 2008, 03:11 PM

Can teams actually improve their prospects with trades once the season has started?

I ask this because of the Nuggets trade Iverson to Detroit:

The Denver Nuggets have traded all-star guard Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons for Denver native and fellow guard Chauncey Billups, as well as forward Antonio McDyess and center Cheikh Saam, the team announced at an afternoon news conference

.

For such trades to work, each party has to believe there is a net benefit to the trade. Both teams have already started the season with plans and players in place. Will such a trade improve this season or simply disrupt the team balance that was in place?

**bushbush** · November 03, 2008, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by Viking Prince

Can teams actually improve their prospects with trades once the season has started?

I ask this because of the Nuggets trade Iverson to Detroit:

.

For such trades to work, each party has to believe their is a net benefit to the trade. Both teams have already started the season with plans and players in place. Will such a trade improve this season or simply disrupt the team balance that was in place?

personally i am shocked by this trade....i am a big fan of detroit and billups...i can't believe they really gonna break up this team...

getting iverson seems to be a temporary move, he is an expiring contract, with the cap space (rasheed's contract is expiring too i believ), they wanna sign some big time stars next or next next summer (lebron, bosh, melo, wade etc).

but still sad, the lineup of billups, rip, sheed, ben, and prince was my all time favorite.