OT: NBA season has begun! [Potential Spoilers]

[jtakeda]

Celtics are the team to beat in the east.

The west is going to be a dog fight but I still think the warriors come out (assuming everyone is healthy).

C’s looked good last night. A lot of ticky tack fouls but the warriors have to be more mentally prepared as to not let that affect them.

Horford is looking amazing. Kyrie is...kyrie.
Jaylen brown was an amazing pick up for them. I’m interested to see how he develops.

[FlashUNC]

Horford has a knack for not having an extra playoff gear, and isn't exactly a pillar of health. Hawks had reasons for balking at that max deal into his mid-30s for a guy who's torn both pecs in his career.

I wouldn't bury the Cavs quite yet. Their defense looks like its a mess of old man horribleness, but they've already beaten the Celtics once this year and LeBron is still LeBron.

Celtics fought hard for that #1 seed last year, and it didn't get them all that much. Looong way to April.

[Aaron O]

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

Horford has a knack for not having an extra playoff gear, and isn't exactly a pillar of health. Hawks had reasons for balking at that max deal into his mid-30s for a guy who's torn both pecs in his career.

I wouldn't bury the Cavs quite yet. Their defense looks like its a mess of old man horribleness, but they've already beaten the Celtics once this year and LeBron is still LeBron.

Celtics fought hard for that #1 seed last year, and it didn't get them all that much. Looong way to April.

+1...

The C's are still lacking in big man depth...I don't think they'd make 5 games against the warriors and am a long way from certain they can handle Washington with Gortot.

When Lebron is on the floor against the Celtics, he;s the best player on the floor...and that generally gives you a shot. The cavs have a lot of new pieces looking to figure it out...I wouldn't bet against them to have the puzzle more complete by March.

[myth_jimmy]

I get the caution with the Cs over the Cavs, Lebron has earned that alone. But I don't understand why people think that the Wiz (and especially the Raptors) have a better chance than the Cs.

Like, what have the Wizards proved at all? Ever?

The Celtics beat them last year, and Horford has been to 2x ECF, and Kyrie to the finals and performed legit. The Wiz ain't made it out of the second round.

Obviously no Hayward is a shame, but still I don't care for the Wiz. Especially now the Cs have extra length on the wing to shut down Beal, Porter, Oubre.

And the Raps....no fear factor from them.

[xeladragon]

Originally Posted by Aaron O

... a long way from certain they can handle Washington with Gortot.

The cavs have a lot of new pieces looking to figure it out...

Sorry, but the Gortot line made me chuckle. Is he supposed to be a difference maker or something?

As for the Cavs having a lot of new pieces, you do realize that the Celtics only have 4 players returning from last year, right? Which is less than the Cavs FWIW.

The Celtics are doing better than expected, no doubt about it, especially after the Hayward injury. Hmm... maybe coaching actually matters...

[Aaron O]

Originally Posted by xeladragon

Sorry, but the Gortot line made me chuckle. Is he supposed to be a difference maker or something?

As for the Cavs having a lot of new pieces, you do realize that the Celtics only have 4 players returning from last year, right? Which is less than the Cavs FWIW.

The Celtics are doing better than expected, no doubt about it, especially after the Hayward injury. Hmm... maybe coaching actually matters...

Lots of basketball left...and I think Gortot, today, is a mis-match for the Celtics in the play offs. We'll see.

[Gabuyo]

I love Gortat. He was very consistent for my fantasy team last season. That aside, this year he hasn't really been doing so hot. Still plays good defense, makes solid plays, but hasn't really had the same sort of impact. Scoring less, rebounding less, less minutes. He's probably the 4th or 5th most important player on the Wizards after Wall, Beal, Porter and debatably Morris.

[sales guy]

Originally Posted by boomforeal

though i gotta say, i'll be happy if the warriors continue to dominate for another five year. watching curry when he gets hot is the best thing in basketball since jordan in the finals, imo

AGREED!! I stopped watching basketball when he left. Curry, Klay, KD, Draymond...they make it fun. I love watching them play. Last night, Draymond with 3 or 4 rebounds and passes out to Klay, KD and Steph, awesome work!

Originally Posted by FlashUNC

I wouldn't bury the Cavs quite yet. Their defense looks like its a mess of old man horribleness, but they've already beaten the Celtics once this year and LeBron is still LeBron.

Celtics fought hard for that #1 seed last year, and it didn't get them all that much. Looong way to April.

Yeah, the Cavs won that first game. But it wasn't a blowout and they lost Hayward that game. I think when they go up against them again it's going to be just as close with the Celtics maybe even getting the W. They are starting to gel well.

[Jaybee]

If you watched the Cavs-Knicks game earlier this week, you saw that LeBron still has that Finals gear when he wants it. Until proven otherwise, he is still the King of the East (NY included, despite Kanter’s statements).

The Cs defense is really solid, and kinda designed to stop the multiple PNR action that GSW has popularized. Multiple athletic players 6-6 to 6-8, switch everything, move as a unit. That kind of defense can be susceptible to huge size discrepancies though, and I don’t know how they will guard a motivated LeBron (or Embiid) in the post

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by myth_jimmy

Horford has been to 2x ECF

And his teams have won all of 1 game in those two ECF trips. I love Jefe deeply and profoundly. Was at Philips Arena for the draft party the night the Hawks picked him -- I preferred Mike Conley, but Billy Knight had his thing for big guys -- and loved watching his career with the Hawks and he's doing much the same with the Celtics.

But he's not the guy who's going to take it to another level for you in the playoffs, and someone another team has to gameplan for.

His two trips have meant he's won one more ECF game than I have, and neither series against LeBron was particularly close.

[myth_jimmy]

^ this was in response to the idea that Washington was better or more threatening than the Cs.

Which is laughable at best, and ignores almost all of the evidence that people playing basketball games have given us.

Nothing to do with Horford vs Lebron-led teams, or his abilities to "step it up a gear".

[FlashUNC]

Originally Posted by myth_jimmy

^ this was in response to the idea that Washington was better or more threatening than the Cs.

Which is laughable at best, and ignores almost all of the evidence that people playing basketball games have given us.

Nothing to do with Horford vs Lebron-led teams, or his abilities to "step it up a gear".

The Wizards are all bark and no bite -- though to be fair that's pretty much the entirety of the East since LeBron has been around.

[Aaron O]

The Wizards are still young and putting it together. With a few good shooting nights, they can knock off the C's.

[boomforeal]

Originally Posted by Aaron O

The Wizards are still young and putting it together. With a few good shooting nights, they can knock off the C's.

no

brooks' players like him and he's done a good job developing the wiz' young players and helping beal and wall sort out their issues. but his teams never "put it all together". see thunder, Oklahoma City

Stevens will take his lunch money every time the two teams play. he's a million miles ahead of brooks as an in game coach and the c's match up well with their wizard counterparts - they've got 3 great defensive bigs to stifle gortat, who is an underrated part of what the do on offence, and great speed, length and discipline on the wing to deal with washington's shooter and creators

and the c's have Marcus smart

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/m...tate-warriors/

[sales guy]

WOW!!! The floor for the Barclay Center looks incredible!

Oh and Go Dubs!!