NBA Season 2015-2016

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Demosthenes wrote:

Dimmer wins... unlike the Raptors.

Basketball season is back!

Lots of questions, lots of stories. Can the Dubs repeat? Will the Thunder get it together before Durant's contract year? How will LMA fit in with the Spurs? Will Kobe retire? Who's jostling for number two in the east?

Of all the rookies, I'm most excited to see Mario Hazonja. He will be so fun to watch.

I have to think this will be Kobe's last year unless he's going to pull a Jordan and just start playing a few minutes a game as a sort of attraction to bring in a few more fans to see "the legend" play just one more time. He's past his prime, he's injury prone and if he really wants to help the Lakers he'd be better off as some kind of assistant coach to just mentor the rookies.

Is Kobe a good mentor? He seems like a bit of a lone wolf, standoffish. I wish he'll retire before his legacy suffers more than it already has.

Thirteenth wrote:

Is Kobe a good mentor? He seems like a bit of a lone wolf, standoffish.

Every single thing I've read about him and from the interviews he's given, he seems like a terrible mentor.

I'd just read that apparently while he was down a good bit last season he was being all big brother to several younger members on the team and helping them improve their game. Of course they also talked about how that was a big change for him over years past.

Well, it's great to know he's making that transition. If he'd made the change sooner, his name might not have been so tarnished all of last season.

What's crazy is that he was still balling at an older age until the Achilles injury. Then it's recovery and then one major breakdown after another. I think being on so much rehab took his body out of its usually perfect rhythm, and it then became impossible to get back in shape.

I don't particularly enjoy his on court persona, but Kobe's always been a disciplined athlete. There's a lot he can teach the younger guys if he's up for it.

Flip Saunders' passing is really sad. F*ck cancer.

On a happier note there's this.

Stan Van Gundy inadvertently made the best rap album cover we've ever seen

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CRuBWazUYAAe8Yf.jpg)

You start to think that cancer is more annoying than deadly when reading about so many people beating it, only to be reminded all too suddenly that cancer is a motherf*cker. I'm ashamed to say I was shocked that Saunders lost that battle.

The Chiefs have Eric Berry back from the same type of cancer. All he missed was the last nine games last season, and made it back by preseason. Saunders passing kind of puts that in perspective.

Jayhawker wrote:

You start to think that cancer is more annoying than deadly when reading about so many people beating it, only to be reminded all too suddenly that cancer is a motherf*cker. I'm ashamed to say I was shocked that Saunders lost that battle.

Same here. Maybe because we frequently hear about athletes beating non-Hodgkins lymphoma?

Jayhawker wrote:

The Chiefs have Eric Berry back from the same type of cancer. All missed was the last nine games last season, and made it back by preseason. Saunders passing kind of puts that in perspective.

--- looked it up ---

Eric Berry had the same type of cancer. I don't know anything. I did get pretty casual about it, though. I assumed he'd be back until they said he wouldn't coach this season and then that confused me.

I'm actually, strangely, more attuned to the Steve Kerr thing. My mother fell and had her dura punctured and I could tell in talking to her how much pain she was in (in terms of the headaches) and how much her mental functioning was impaired. I can totally understand the Kerr thing in a way I don't get cancer.

Oops. Just made a new thread because I got a PM reminding me to do it. Guess I'll link back to this thread instead.

Thirteenth wrote:

Lots of questions, lots of stories. Can the Dubs repeat? Will the Thunder get it together before Durant's contract year? How will LMA fit in with the Spurs? Will Kobe retire? Who's jostling for number two in the east?

It will be an interesting year.

I don't think the Warriors will repeat, I think they will take that post-championship lull where they are sort of satisfied and will get beat out in the playoffs by a hungrier team.

I expect the Thunder to be a mess this year. Something will happen again, and there will be chemistry questions dogging them all year.

Aldridge I have no idea, he could be great, or he could be apathetic and halfway into the season everyone will realize he is a disappointment. If he is great, I'd put the Spurs in the western conference finals.

If Kobe gets injured again this year and is out for more than four weeks, I think he retires at the end. If he stays healthy, I bet he comes back.

I am betting Miami for #2 in the east.

Fantasy team drafted. Hate it.

I have Butler + McBuckets and Wiggins + Dieng. So I'm a mini Bulls\Timberwolves fan. Need to try to get 1 more rooting interest going. I'm a masochist as I drafted Carmelo.

Goal is to stay attentive throughout the season instead of just really getting interested once the playoffs start.

Before looking at the odds the obvious teams that popped in my head were the Cavs (weak east) and Spurs (Aldridge + Popovich magic).

They are both the favorites. I would be all kinds of giddy if Duncan wins 1 more title at the expense of Lebron. Any surprise in the East to make it more interesting would be good also.

Tag

Stele wrote:

Oops. Just made a new thread because I got a PM reminding me to do it. Guess I'll link back to this thread instead.

Yeah, sorry. I couldn't wait.

jowner wrote:

Fantasy team drafted. Hate it.

I have Butler + McBuckets and Wiggins + Dieng. So I'm a mini Bulls\Timberwolves fan.

McBuckets! There's a thought. Yeah, I'm not a fan of my own team either. A few good players got picked right before I went. I'm gambling big on David Lee and Hassan Whiteside. Hope they work out.

.

I drafted McBuckets last year. I avoided him this year, thankfully. Unfortunately I landed Carmelo. In a 12 person league he lasted until the 4th round. I had to draft him. I'll post my team later to compare.

DSGamer wrote:

I drafted McBuckets last year. I avoided him this year, thankfully. Unfortunately I landed Carmelo. In a 12 person league he lasted until the 4th round. I had to draft him. I'll post my team later to compare.

4th round is great assuming the format.

I drafted him.... 9th. I also don't know what I'm doing.

DSGamer wrote:

Flip Saunders' passing is really sad. F*ck cancer.

On a happier note there's this.

Stan Van Gundy inadvertently made the best rap album cover we've ever seen

That pic made my morning. Go on with your bad self, Stan. (Doesn't hurt the Pistons handily won their opener against Atlanta on the road last night and mostly looked good doing it. I might have my hopes up enough to pick up League Pass this year.)

Flip's passing was shocking. You're all right that it's easy to start taking recovery for granted with some of these diagnoses. This went from, "He's going to miss a bit of the season, but he'll be back," to, "he'll miss the season," to, "he's died," scary fast.

As a Pistons fan I always thought he got a raw deal when he was there. Three years averaging nearly 60 wins per, including a franchise record for wins and three straight conf. finals appearances is not a firing offense. Loved those teams, but they were toxic to coaches. And Flip generally seemed like one of the real good guys around the league. Very unfortunate.

IMAGE(http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view1/20151027/5262642/game-winning-block-o.gif)

great start to the year!

Pau Pau Pounded the ball!

Snell and Mirotic looked excellent as starters yesterday. Also, is it just me or did Kevin Love look like he was 4 inches shorter than Mirotic? Is Kevin Love one of those people that, like Barkley, once he loses some weight we figure out he's 6 inches shorter than listed?

Aw, chuck.

IMAGE(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CSac3LHXAAEi8X7.jpg)

That's terrific.

Lose a bet there, Charles?

Oh, he's a good sport about it. Can't imagine this jovial old man was the same monster who dominated the league with his ferocity.

Speaking of, Golden State didn't seem to have that post championship lull yesterday. They shut Davis down, who had a terrible game by his standard. The team looked so in sync, just inspired ball moving all around, and the assist numbers show.

DSGamer wrote:

Snell and Mirotic looked excellent as starters yesterday. Also, is it just me or did Kevin Love look like he was 4 inches shorter than Mirotic? Is Kevin Love one of those people that, like Barkley, once he loses some weight we figure out he's 6 inches shorter than listed?

Mirotic looked amazing. I can see why he's so high on many people's list.

Warriors last night, Spurs tonight. Yay for national coverage this week.

Russell Westbrook doing Russell Westbrook things. I could watch him drive to the rim all day long.

jowner wrote:

IMAGE(http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view1/20151027/5262642/game-winning-block-o.gif)

great start to the year! :D

I went back and watched this game and this play was amazing. Watch, if the Bulls play the Cavs in the playoffs, this play becomes used as a metaphor for Chicago getting in LeBron's way of of another title. Given the summer Gasol had that block felt like it was a "statement" to use a frequently repeated NBA-ism.

John Wall was two steals away from a 5x5. What a monster!

If you missed Durant getting stuffed on a jumper tonight, be sure to look for it. Wow.

EDIT: Here

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