NBA discussion thread

Originally posted by Lord Evolution
Live 2003 was the one with Kidd on the cover. And you are right, there was absolutely no defense in any of these Live games and all you had to do to score was run and dunk, up until 2005, which had Melo on the cover. In 2004, everyone was saying, all this game needs is defense, and sure enough they delivered the next year, but then reverted back to crap with '06.

2005 was the first year EA started putting the dunk contest and 3 point shootout in their games.

Oh you know what I do know what you are taking about now. Yeah your right that was a really good game I did like it but 2k5 had me pretty much hooked at that point.

Yeah I don't know why they decided that they needed 3 buttons to score with it jsut made tha game more confusing.

Live has all the best features. The all-Star contests the intricate Dynasty mode and alot of other great features. If it had 2K's gamepley, animation and over-all fundamental soundness it would be the game to get. I really want to lie live cause it is packed with alot of good stuff. But I can't actually enjoy playing the game.

If I had to make a complaint about Live is that the Drop step is too easy to abuse, and I wish you could create characters with flashy dunks instead of the Tim Duncan yawners they do.

Back on topic... Since the season will be starting in a matter of weeks, WILL Kobe and the rest of the USA team tire out after a while?

What do you mean back on topic? Nobody was talking about that. Hell considering the NBA is in the offseans anything NBA related is fair-game.

As for the question no not really all those guys are really young and have a lot of stamina. I worry about their defnese more than anything we know Kobe and Kidd will put the lock on but the other starters aren't too good at defending their man or general help D.

Originally posted by Lord Evolution
Live 2003 was the one with Kidd on the cover. And you are right, there was absolutely no defense in any of these Live games and all you had to do to score was run and dunk, up until 2005, which had Melo on the cover. In 2004, everyone was saying, all this game needs is defense, and sure enough they delivered the next year, but then reverted back to crap with '06.

2005 was the first year EA started putting the dunk contest and 3 point shootout in their games.

i remember an earlier live with a 3 point shoot contest. and 2003 with kidd on the cover, i must have been the only one who didnt play like the suns on it. i'll always remember my created player having 54 points, 23 assists, 7 boards and 14 steals. yep 14 steals. and then there were one players 14 blocks in the same game.

Jesus guys, the season is almost upon us and this thread is almost at the bottom of the page. I cant wait to finally have some hoops to watch, every off season seems longer than the last.

I am hoping the Lakers can put all the bullshit that has gone on over the summer aside and recapture the form they were showing in the first 3rd of last season. They havent made any major leaps talent wise but i think with a steady PG (Fisher) at the helm and a deeper frontcourt we could have a successful campaign. Obviously health is the major concern, we were decimated by injuries last season and it really reflected in how bad our chemistry was in the playoffs.
I've been following the Laker training camp news like a junkie searching for a fix and i like what im hearing so far. Phil has finally moved Lamar to his natural position (SF) and is going to start Turiaf at PF, i love this move because it improves our defense (which was atrocious last season) by having 2 shot blockers in Turiaf and Bynum in the middle and Lamar checking players like Melo and Bron instead of Walton. Also Lamar in the post is a nightmare cover for most SF as he is 6'10 and can shoot over the top. Moving Walton to the bench is a great move to, i like what Luke gives us but he struggles defending starting SF's. Phil has also said that he would like to run more which makes a ton of sense when you look at the athletes we have, i just hope the guys remember that its nice to want to run but first you have to knuckle down and get stops or rebounds (with our front line rebounding shouldnt be a problem - Bynum (7'1), Turiaf (6'10) and Lamar (6'10).

Im also looking forward to seeing how the Celtics look with their overhaul, experts have picked them to take the east and the smart money would agree but you never know.

How are your teams looking for the upcoming season? Reasons to be excited or not?

Number 1 pick here we come!(I hope)

I'm not really excited for the start of the NBA. I'm happy and everything, and I'll watch the same amount of games I always do, but I'm more excited to find out what the Phillies will do in the offseason then to see what happens in the NBA.

College Basketball though, I want that to start ASAP.

I pumped as hell for the new season. After some time has passed since the tragic Oden news, I am really pumped for the Blazer's season. I am most excited to see how Aldridge does as the scoring option among the front court. I hope the Blazers can simply maintain the same record despite losing our main low post scorer and not bringing in Oden this year. I hope we can do even better, but if not, another high lottery player (Rose?) plus Oden next year will be sweet.

Elsewhere I am excited to see how Kobe responds after the offseason. Since he came in pissed with his squad and not having to recover from surgery, I would like to see him average 35 again and have some jaw dropping games above 60 points and scoring streaks, (such as 10 games of 40 in a row, or 4 games of 50). I'd also like to see another Suns vs Lakers first round match with Lakers winning before being stomped in the second round (though I feel this is very unlikely).

I'm also curious about the Celtics. I really don't care if they do very well or not, but it will be interesting to watch regardless.

Did you just say you'd like to see the Lakers beat the Suns? jawdrop

Originally posted by koolruningz
Did you just say you'd like to see the Lakers beat the Suns? jawdrop

For this to actually happen would be if people are dreaming.

I would also like another Lakers-Suns playoff matchup. I would like this every year until we beat them. 😆

I'm the kind of guy who gets shot, gets up and then proceeds to run at the guy who shot me....while he still has the guy pointed at me, hoping that maybe he will run out of bullets before I get there.

That's what I'm hoping for the Lakers...maybe we can have a good enough series to beat them, maybe Kwame Brown would actually do something, maybe Steve Nash could down with an ankle injury(GOD FORBID), and the Lakers can get lucky and finally eliminate them. But I definitely want to keep playing this team every year in the playoffs, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Originally posted by koolruningz
Did you just say you'd like to see the Lakers beat the Suns? jawdrop

Yes I did say that, just like I stated that before each time they met the last 2 years. I guess you forgot that I hate the Sun's offense first approach that is becoming contagious throughout the league. I want them to be put in their place so that their influence will stop once and for all and we can go back to the "defense wins championships" mentality. (I know the defensive teams have still been the winning ones, but the league still seems to be heading more in the direction of "sacrifice defense for offense"😉.

I know you hate the Suns offense and all it stands for and i know there is no love lost between you and Steve Nash to, but i guess i didnt know how much until now.

Have we done predictions yet? I'm assuming we have, but I'm bored and want to make some.

West:
(1) Mavs
(2) Suns
(3) Spurs
(4) Rockets (5th seed)
(5) Nuggets (4th seed)
(6) Jazz
(7) Hornets
(8) Lakers
(9) Warriors
(10) Grizzlies
(11) Blazers
(12) Kings
(13) Sonics
(14) T-Wolves
(15) Clippers (worst record in league)

1st round:
(1) Mavs def (8) Lakers in 6
(2) Suns def (7) Hornets in 6
(3) Spurs def (6) Jazz in 6
(5) Rockets def (4) Nuggets in 7

2nd round:
(5) Rockets def (1) Mavs in 7
(3) Spurs def (6) Suns in 6

WCF:
(3) Spurs def (5) Rockets in 6

East:
(1) Bulls
(2) Cavs
(3) Celtics
(4) Pistons (5th seed)
(5) Magic (4th seed)
(6) Wizards
(7) Heat
(8) Raptors
(9) Nets
(10) Hawks
(11) Knicks
(12) Bucks
(13) Bobcats
(14) Pacers
(15) 76ers

1st round:
(1) Bulls def (8) Raptors in 5
(2) Cavs def (7) Heat in 7
(3) Celtics def (6) Wizards in 5
(5) Pistons def (4) Magic in 5

2nd rounds:
(1) Bulls def (5) Pistons in 6
(2) Cavs def (3) Celtics in 7

ECF:
(1) Bulls def (2) Cavs in 6

Champions: Spurs over Bulls in 5
Finals MVP: Duncan

NBA MVP: LeBron (Dirk may appear to deserve it but voters will be affraid to give it to him)
MIP: LaMarcus Aldridge (not simply because I'm a homer, but because he will get drastically more touches without Z-Bo)
6th man: Barbosa
DPOY: Duncan
COY: Avery (credited for helping the Mavs continue reg. season success after playoff upsets)
ROY: Durant
Scoring champ: Kobe (35 ppg)

1st team all-nba:
G: Nash
G: Kobe
F: LeBron
F: Duncan
C: Yao

1st team all-rookie:
G: Conley
G: Durant
F: Brewer
F: Horford
C: Noah (pretty much by default)

i think if healthy the rockets may do a little better this year, and dont count out the raps. we've got a good second unit and its gonna last better than some of the other teams. so expect a good run at the end of the season. we'll win the division again this year, despite a challange from boston and nj, and get to second round of the playoffs.

I am stoked with our 1st round pick Javaris Crittenton, he has some serious game. Reminds me of a less explosive D-Wade, i hope Kobe sticks around long enough to form a backcourt partnership with him. This kid is gonna be something, he has all the tools and works hard at his game (even looks great on defense), by the end of the year i'd like to see:

PG - Crittenton / Fisher
SG - Kobe / Evans
SF - Lamar / Luke
PF - Turiaf / Vlade
C - Bynum / Mihm

Myth, i like your predictions but man you must have some time up your sleeve to put that together.

I don't trust preseason crap. The Lakers will most likely win their costumary 40 to 42 games,and be ousted by the Suns. I figure The Spurs will prolly win the title again.

Myth, great job!!

I doubt we'll make the playoffs with only 40 wins. If we stay healthy, I think we can go as high as the 5th or 6th seed, but I would really like for us to play the Suns in the first round, so I'm hoping it is another 7 vs 2 matchup, because we all know the Suns will have one of the best records in the West.

Originally posted by vandalworks
i think if healthy the rockets may do a little better this year, and dont count out the raps.

I completely agree that the Rockets should be better this year. My prediction doesn't show them jumping over Spurs, Suns, or Mavs in the regular season, but I do see them closing the gap. In the past years, those 3 were "the" teams in the west. I think now the Rockets will be in the conversation and I see them as a stronger team in the playoffs than simply in the regular season (as shown in my playoff brackets where they knock off the Nuggets and Mavs).

As for the Raptors, I have them ranked lower simply because of the improved east, not because they will be any worse as a team.

Originally posted by Lord Evolution
I doubt we'll make the playoffs with only 40 wins. If we stay healthy, I think we can go as high as the 5th or 6th seed, but I would really like for us to play the Suns in the first round, so I'm hoping it is another 7 vs 2 matchup, because we all know the Suns will have one of the best records in the West.

Staying healthy would be good for the Lakers, but that doesn't translate into a 55 to 60+ win season.