The NBA Thread

[buffcoat]

Poor David and his fancy Vandy fandydom!  Are you really upset that I didn't remember you were a Vanderbilt fan?  I've been away, but I apologize...


#20 (according to your chart) UNC has 5 losses to #6 Texas, #31 Minnesota, #33 Vanderbilt, #37 Illinois and #147 Georgia Tech.  So the suckitude or non-suckitude of the ACC doesn't enter into it that much.

College hoops is funny because it's not like the NBA, where you establish a consistent record within a season against certain teams.  UNC lost to Texas on a remarkable shot.  They got plain old beat by three teams in the 30s of your table and they got smashed to bits by a low-level ACC team (albeit on the road in a place where Roy Williams has done badly since he arrived in the ACC).

The game Sunday against inconsistent but talented FSU will go a long way toward who's in line for second in the ACC.  I'm assuming that even Kyrie Irving-less Duke will pull away, though I'm grateful to FSU for keeping them from an undefeated season in conference.

[dave from knoxville]

Poor David and his fancy Vandy fandydom!  Are you really upset that I didn't remember you were a Vanderbilt fan?  I've been away, but I apologize...


#20 (according to your chart) UNC has 5 losses to #6 Texas, #31 Minnesota, #33 Vanderbilt, #37 Illinois and #147 Georgia Tech.  So the suckitude or non-suckitude of the ACC doesn't enter into it that much.

College hoops is funny because it's not like the NBA, where you establish a consistent record within a season against certain teams.  UNC lost to Texas on a remarkable shot.  They got plain old beat by three teams in the 30s of your table and they got smashed to bits by a low-level ACC team (albeit on the road in a place where Roy Williams has done badly since he arrived in the ACC).

The game Sunday against inconsistent but talented FSU will go a long way toward who's in line for second in the ACC.  I'm assuming that even Kyrie Irving-less Duke will pull away, though I'm grateful to FSU for keeping them from an undefeated season in conference.

Fancy is right! At times the Vandy Commodore has even been known to wear a monacle!

[Greggulator]

I haven't seen too much of Vandy this year but I loved Ogilvy's game when he was there. Great player. Kevin Stallings is a great coach.

I'm on the Jimmer bandwagon. I'd be completely obsessed if he was at a school like Davidson. You would have thought that Steffan Curry gave me a kidney with how much I watched him.

[Gilly]

I promise to fill out one bracket this year based totally on those rankings Dave. For your efforts.

[dave from knoxville]

I promise to fill out one bracket this year based totally on those rankings Dave. For your efforts.

I have never won a big pool. My system is numerically sound, and I tend to pick the winner a high percentage of the time, but neither I don't have any intuition, and neither does this system. Here's this week's NBA update; they play so many games in the NBA that it's becoming more and more static from week to week.

1 San Antonio Spurs Home 40.3
2 Chicago Bulls Home 36.4
3 Boston Celtics Home 34.6
4 Miami Heat Away 33.9
5 Denver Nuggets Home 33.5
6 San Antonio Spurs Away 33.2
7 Dallas Mavericks Away 32.4
8 Los Angeles Lakers Away 31.6
9 New Orleans Hornets Home 30
10 Dallas Mavericks Home 29.6
11 Oklahoma City Thunder Home 29.3
12 Miami Heat Home 29.1
13 Orlando Magic Home 28.9
14 Oklahoma City Thunder Away 28.4
15 Atlanta Hawks Away 28.4
16 Boston Celtics Away 28
17 Los Angeles Lakers Home 27
18 Utah Jazz Home 26.5
19 Memphis Grizzlies Home 26.3
20 Portland Trailblazers Home 26.1
21 Orlando Magic Away 25
22 Utah Jazz Away 24.9
23 Philadelphia 76ers Home 24.3
24 Golden State Warriors Home 23.6
25 Los Angeles Clippers Home 23.4
26 New Orleans Hornets Away 22.8
27 New York Knicks Away 22.7
28 New York Knicks Home 22.1
29 Houston Rockets Home 21.6
30 Phoenix Suns Away 21.5
31 Atlanta Hawks Home 21.5
32 Phoenix Suns Home 21.4
33 Milwaukee Bucks Home 21
34 Chicago Bulls Away 20.5
35 Indiana Pacers Home 20.1
36 Denver Nuggets Away 19.5
37 Charlotte Bobcats Home 19.4
38 Detroit Pistons Home 19.4
39 Portland Trailblazers Away 18.8
40 New Jersey Nets Home 18.6
41 Houston Rockets Away 18.6
42 Memphis Grizzlies Away 16.8
43 Milwaukee Bucks Away 16.3
44 Indiana Pacers Away 16
45 Washington Wizards Home 15.9
46 Philadelphia 76ers Away 15.3
47 Charlotte Bobcats Away 14.9
48 Golden State Warriors Away 13.7
49 Minnesota Timberwolves Home 12.8
50 Toronto Raptors Home 12.3
51 Sacramento Kings Away 12
52 Los Angeles Clippers Away 11.7
53 Toronto Raptors Away 10.6
54 Detroit Pistons Away 9.9
55 Cleveland Cavaliers Home 8
56 Minnesota Timberwolves Away 6.5
57 New Jersey Nets Away 6.4
58 Sacramento Kings Home 6.3
59 Cleveland Cavaliers Away 4.6
60 Washington Wizards Away 0

[Gilly]

I promise to fill out one bracket this year based totally on those rankings Dave. For your efforts.

I have never won a big pool. My system is numerically sound, and I tend to pick the winner a high percentage of the time, but neither I don't have any intuition, and neither does this system. Here's this week's NBA update; they play so many games in the NBA that it's becoming more and more static from week to week.

I'm still going to do it. Although I will factor in injuries and matchups I will make your final rankings the deciding factor. Just on one bracket I fill out. I usually fill out 3 in the pool I'm in that has about 400 people play each year. Last year I ended up 7th... Gotta love Duke haters.

[jbissell]

It's going to be really strange not seeing Sloan with the Jazz. He's been there literally almost as long as I've been alive.

[buffcoat]

I promise to fill out one bracket this year based totally on those rankings Dave. For your efforts.

I have never won a big pool. My system is numerically sound, and I tend to pick the winner a high percentage of the time, but neither I don't have any intuition, and neither does this system. Here's this week's NBA update; they play so many games in the NBA that it's becoming more and more static from week to week.

I'm still going to do it. Although I will factor in injuries and matchups I will make your final rankings the deciding factor. Just on one bracket I fill out. I usually fill out 3 in the pool I'm in that has about 400 people play each year. Last year I ended up 7th... Gotta love Duke haters.

Then you love me.

[Gilly]

I didn't realize Deron Williams was such a jerk. Sloan is the greatest coach of the past 30-40 years in my eyes always leading teams to winning records no matter the players. His best team was unfortunately playing at the same time as Jordan's reign. It's amazing how Deron Williams could cause him to quit. He was probably close anyway but to leave midseason just isn't like Sloan.

[Greggulator]

It's going to be really weird not seeing Jerry Sloan walk the sidelines cursing at officials. The Stockton-to-Malone teams are some of my favorites. They would have had at least one ring if it wasn't for Jordan.

Utah's offense is absolutely beautiful to watch when everything is clicking.

My favorite Jerry Sloan moment (and one of my favorite NBA moments) was the look on his face when all-time knucklehead Ricky Davis shot at his own basket so he could get a rebound so he could get a triple double as captured here: Ricky Davis Triple Double Ripoff

John Amechi was that British center who came out of the closet when he was done playing. He didn't have ANYTHING nice to say about Jerry Sloan, who wasn't the most open-minded of people.

I'm not going to rip Deron on this, though. The Jazz have a ton of problems and Jerry's a really stubborn guy. He's a great coach (and clearly the best to never win Coach of the Year and clearly a HOF) but being hard on players constantly and not changing up your offense (Kyle Korver said that they had exactly zero plays to free someone up for a three) and not adjusting your rotations can get to a player.

[TheeChrisDee]

I think there are some crochety media folks who are trying to use this to show that players have too much power in the league right now.

I think the game had passed Sloan by, but his long tenure and popularity made it impossible for the Jazz to move on from him.  I'm sure the ownership and management are relieved that he resigned.

[Gilly]

I don't know, Sloan continued to win without being in a big market. Only Popovich comes to mind for the level of success Sloan continued to have without switching teams to find marquee players. I don't see how the game passed him by. If the players didn't like his style that's their problem, most players would be happy with being on a winning team year after year.

[Chloe inChicago]

Big Baby Glen Davis just missed a wide open lay up, then belly-bumped a Heat player.

If I were a Boston fan I probably wouldn't be laughing so hard. Sorry bout all those injuries, but I'm a magic fan through and through. I need a championship soon.

[dave from knoxville]

Bifurcation has occurred. The system has gone all Mandebrotian on me. I don't pretend to understand it, I just report it.

Feb 14

1 San Antonio Spurs Home 31.4
2 Chicago Bulls Home 29.1
3 Boston Celtics Home 27.8
4 Denver Nuggets Home 27.5
5 Dallas Mavericks Home 25
6 Miami Heat Home 24.5
7 Orlando Magic Home 24.3
8 Oklahoma City Thunder Home 24
9 New Orleans Hornets Home 23.6
10 Los Angeles Lakers Home 23.2
11 Portland Trailblazers Home 23
12 Memphis Grizzlies Home 22.7
13 Utah Jazz Home 22.5
14 Philadelphia 76ers Home 22
15 Los Angeles Lakers Away 21.8
16 Los Angeles Clippers Home 21.6
17 Miami Heat Away 21.2
18 Dallas Mavericks Away 21.1
19 Golden State Warriors Home 21
20 San Antonio Spurs Away 21
21 Phoenix Suns Home 20.4
22 Indiana Pacers Home 19.2
23 New York Knicks Home 19.1
24 Milwaukee Bucks Home 19.1
25 Houston Rockets Home 18.5
26 Atlanta Hawks Home 18.2
27 Charlotte Bobcats Home 17.9
28 Oklahoma City Thunder Away 17.9
29 Detroit Pistons Home 17.9
30 Boston Celtics Away 17.6
31 Atlanta Hawks Away 17.5
32 New Jersey Nets Home 17.2
33 Washington Wizards Home 16.6
34 Orlando Magic Away 16.5
35 Utah Jazz Away 15.6
36 Phoenix Suns Away 15
37 New Orleans Hornets Away 14.5
38 New York Knicks Away 14.4
39 Chicago Bulls Away 14.3
40 Minnesota Timberwolves Home 13.6
41 Toronto Raptors Home 13.2
42 Denver Nuggets Away 12.4
43 Houston Rockets Away 12.4
44 Portland Trailblazers Away 11.9
45 Memphis Grizzlies Away 11
46 Cleveland Cavaliers Home 10.6
47 Indiana Pacers Away 10.6
48 Philadelphia 76ers Away 10.4
49 Sacramento Kings Home 10.2
50 Charlotte Bobcats Away 9.5
51 Milwaukee Bucks Away 9
52 Sacramento Kings Away 8.5
53 Golden State Warriors Away 8.5
54 Los Angeles Clippers Away 7.3
55 Detroit Pistons Away 6
56 Toronto Raptors Away 6
57 Minnesota Timberwolves Away 5
58 New Jersey Nets Away 4.3
59 Cleveland Cavaliers Away 2.5
60 Washington Wizards Away 0

[jbissell]

If I were a Boston fan I probably wouldn't be laughing so hard. Sorry bout all those injuries, but I'm a magic fan through and through. I need a championship soon.

How're you feeling about the trades at this point? Arenas seems like a mistake.