2014-2015 NBA Season Thread

[daBronzeBomma]

Steve Nash is reportedly out for the year because of his back, that's likely it for him, kind of an ignoble way to end a likely HOF career.

First: a moment of sorrowful silence for the active playing career of Steve Nash, the 2005 and 2006 NBA MVP, and a first-ballot lock for the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Second: I'll be shocked (SHOCKED! I tell you!) if Steve Nash announces his retirement at any time during the upcoming regular season. His passive playing career will continue till the very end of his contract with the Lakers in Spring 2015. He ain't giving ANY money back. Neither would I, in that position.

Meanwhile, the Lakers will get no major cap relief due to Nash still collecting his checks this season. Lakers should just tank this season to get a higher pick in next year's draft lottery.

[byc]

& the first NBA MVP in history to never reach the Finals smh

I don't feel for him at all.

One of the MVPs was undeserved. Although all of our vitriol about that topic were on the old boards, now archived somewhere out there.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Lakers should just tank this season to get a higher pick in next year's draft lottery.

That'll go over REAL well with Kobe. I have no doubt the word "tank" isn't in his vocabulary and would strangle the first beat writer who mentions that in his presence.

[Arundel Armor Hunter]

That'll go over REAL well with Kobe. I have no doubt the word "tank" isn't in his vocabulary and would strangle the first beat writer who mentions that in his presence.

He put his team into that position. Might as well get used to it.

[Vic Vega]

He put his team into that position. Might as well get used to it.

Even the most rabid of Laker fans should be able to see that now.

You might have been able to pass of Dwight Howard wanting no part of Kobe as him being a quitter or whatever. However in the last Free Agency season, every other free agent in the NBA bascially wanted no parts of the Lakers either.

Nobody wants to play with Kobe unless they are about to retire and just want one more paycheck. Like Nash.

[daBronzeBomma]

Better career?

Steve Nash (0 rings, 0 Finals, 2 League MVPs, 76th all-time career points, 3rd all-time career assists, 229th all-time career points per game, 9th all-time career assists per game, incredible passer)

or

Allen Iverson (0 rings, 1 Finals, 1 League MVP, 22nd all-time career points, 43rd all-time career assists, 7th all-time career points per game, 45th all-time career assists per game, incredible scorer)

[byc]

I'd take Kidd over Nash any day.

And Kidd should have gotten the MVP in 02-03 instead of Duncan.

[Hiromi]

They're both similar players, Kidd is the much better defender, Nash is the much better scorer(one of if not the best true shooters of all time, not only was he a 50/40/90 guy 4 times, he had 5 seasons where he BARELY missed it and is only a tenth of a percent away in FG% away from being a lifetime 50/40/90 shooter), it's likely a wash.

And Nash and AI are such dissimilar players it's nearly impossible to compare the two, though as for which player I'd rather have on my team goes it'd be Nash, he's easier to build around and he gives you a MUCH longer and healthier career than AI does.

[daBronzeBomma]

I'd take Kidd over Nash any day.

And Kidd should have gotten the MVP in 02-03 instead of Duncan.

Agree with Kidd over Nash (tho neither was close to the force of nature A.I. was OFF the court).

As for the 2003 Season MVP, the answer to whom else it should have go to is the same answer to the question on this Sports Illustrated cover from June 2003:



Answer: No One.

2003 was Tim Duncan's peak year as an athlete. He rightfully deserved that Season MVP (and Finals MVP) and it wasn't close.

Now, Jason Kidd should have gotten more consideration the previous year's award: the 2002 Season MVP could have gone to Kidd.

That was the season he was traded to the New Jersey Nets from the Phoenix Suns and promptly turned the Nets into a title contender that same year.

For the original Nash vs AI: I'd take AI's career over Nash. If I have to go ringless, at least let me get to the Finals.

[Hiromi]

The getting to the Finals thing is an overrated argument, the West was a much tougher division than the East going back to the early 2000s much in the same way it's been the last few years except with no Big 3 Miami Heat, in 2003 for example 6 teams in the West were 50 wins or better, and two of them were 60 win teams, Detroit had the number one seed in the East with a record of 50 and 32.

[daBronzeBomma]

On ESPN's NBA Season Preview Player Power Rankings, the Top 10 for the upcoming season are so far

10. Dwight Howard
09. James Harden
08. Kevin Durant*
07. Kevin Love
06. Stephen Curry

* - solely due to his offseason injury, otherwise he'd most likely be #2

My prediction for what ESPN chooses as their Top 5 players on Monday:

05. Russell Westbrook
04. Chris Paul
03. Blake Griffin
02. Anthony Davis
01. LeBron James

[byc]

Agree with Kidd over Nash (tho neither was close to the force of nature A.I. was OFF the court).

As for the 2003 Season MVP, the answer to whom else it should have go to is the same answer to the question on this Sports Illustrated cover from June 2003:



Answer: No One.

2003 was Tim Duncan's peak year as an athlete. He rightfully deserved that Season MVP (and Finals MVP) and it wasn't close.

Now, Jason Kidd should have gotten more consideration the previous year's award: the 2002 Season MVP could have gone to Kidd.

That was the season he was traded to the New Jersey Nets from the Phoenix Suns and promptly turned the Nets into a title contender that same year.

For the original Nash vs AI: I'd take AI's career over Nash. If I have to go ringless, at least let me get to the Finals.

Funny thing. Look at the stats for Duncan vs. Kidd in 02-03. Duncan's doesn't stand out.

[daBronzeBomma]

Funny thing. Look at the stats for Duncan vs. Kidd in 02-03. Duncan's doesn't stand out.

Here are the NBA's 2002-2003 Season MVP Voting Results

Tim Duncan was voted first, Jason Kidd was voted 9th. The MVP award doesn't rely on normal stats alone, and values advanced metrics like Win-Shares (which Tim Duncan was #1 that season).

And here is the NBA's Season MVP Voting Results for the previous season: 2001-2002

Tim Duncan was voted first here as well, but at least Jason Kidd was voted 2nd. Interestingly, Duncan's Win-Shares lead here was much more dominant here than the next year 2003.

So, I can't buy the notion that the 2003 MVP belonged to anyone other than Tim Duncan.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

On ESPN's NBA Season Preview Player Power Rankings, the Top 10 for the upcoming season are so far

10. Dwight Howard
09. James Harden
08. Kevin Durant*
07. Kevin Love
06. Stephen Curry

* - solely due to his offseason injury, otherwise he'd most likely be #2

My prediction for what ESPN chooses as their Top 5 players on Monday:

05. Russell Westbrook
04. Chris Paul
03. Blake Griffin
02. Anthony Davis
01. LeBron James

I'd put Davis at 5, personally. No way is he better than Blake, CP3 and Westbrook. I mean, he's good for a player in his third year and he'll a superstar no doubt in the future, but not right now is he the second best going into the season.

[daBronzeBomma]

Newest Sports Illustrated magazine cover is all about the upcoming NBA Season:



Have to admit, never thought I'd actually see LeBron in a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey again.

OK, What are your BOLD Predictions for the upcoming season? I'm talking Bold with a capital B: the prediction that you personally believe will wind up happening, but it also raises some eyebrows among your hoops-circle.

Here are my BOLD predictions for the 2014-2015 NBA season:

- I BOLDLY predict that not only will the San Antonio Spurs NOT repeat as champions, they won't even make it back to the NBA Finals in the playoffs.

- I BOLDLY predict that Kobe Bryant will NOT be voted as a starter in the All-Star Game (ASG WC backcourt starters will be Chris Paul and Stephen Curry), despite him being relatively healthy.

- I BOLDLY predict that Blake Griffin and Chris Paul will cancel each other out in the Season MVP voting, as will Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and that Anthony Davis will be LeBron James' biggest challenger for the award.