The Basketball Thread

bear

THE BASKETBALL THREAD

NCAA BRACKET GROUP
http://games.espn.com/tournament-challenge-bracket/2017/en/group?groupID=1240787
password: fifabball


Preseason Predictions
2014

Rawrs -
Champion: SAS
Finalist: Cleveland
MVP: LBJ
ROTY: Jabari Parker
DPOY: Anthony Davis
MIP: Victor Oladipo
Surprise team: New Orleans
Flop team: Phoenix
Coach of the Year: Pop

Bear -
Champion: SAS
Finalist: Cleveland
MVP: LBJ
ROTY: Elfrid Payton
DPOY: Anthony Davis
MIP: Giannis Antetokounmp
Surprise team: Orlando
Flop team: Indiana
Coach of the Year: Pop

Leeds -
Champion: Spurs
Finalist: Cavs
MVP: LBJ
ROTY: Jabari Parker
DPOY: Anthony Davis
MIP: Kenneth Faried
Surprise team: Hornets
Flop team: Nuggets
Coach of the Year: Pop

Paul -
Champion: Clippers
Finalist: Bulls
MVP: LBJ
ROTY: Nerlens Noel
DPOY: Anthony Davis
MIP: Jonas Valanciunas
Surprise team: Pistons
Flop team: Heat
Coach of the Year: Thibs

Qargo -
Champion: Spurs
Finalist: Bulls
MVP: LeBron
ROTY: Jabari
DPOY: Davis
MIP: Collison
Surprise team: Pacers
Flop team: Nets
Coach of the Year: Doc

Cleveland -
Champion: Spurs
Finalist: Cavs
MVP: Lebron
ROTY: Jabari Parker
DPOY: Anthony Davis
MIP: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Surprise team: Pelicans
Flop team: Heat
Coach of the Year: Monty Williams

On3PoundFish -
Champion: Mavs
Finalist: Cavs
MVP: Dirk
ROTY: Jabari Parker
DPOY: Tyson Chandler
MIP: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Surprise team: Hornets
Flop team: Heat
Coach of the Year: Rick Carlisle

stickeyLFC
Champion: Memphis
Finalist: Cavs
MVP: LeBron
ROTY: Jabari
DPOY: Davis
MIP: Valanciunas
Surprise team: Memphis
Flop team: Miami
Coach of the Year: Joerger

Miko -
Champion: Cleveland
Finalist: Spurs
MVP: LeBron
ROTY: Wiggins
DPOY: Anthony Davis
MIP: Giannis
Surprise team: Hornets
Flop team: Heat
Coach of the Year: Pop

Hamza -
Champion: Bulls
Finalist: Spurs
MVP: westbrick
ROTY: Payton
DPOY: Anthony Davis
MIP: Giannis
Surprise team: Pistons
Flop team: Blazers
Coach of the Year: Blatt

db -
Champions: GSW
MVP: LBJ
ROTY: Andrew Wiggins
DPOY: Davis
MIP: Kawhi Leonard
Surprise team: New Orleans
Flop team: Miami
Coach of the Year: Steve Kerr

OFelite
Champion: OKC
Finalist: Hawks
MVP: Curry
ROTY: Jabari
DPOY: Davis
MIP: Drummond
Surprise team: Pistons
Flop team: 76ers
Coach of the Year: Pop

thebigo -
Champions: Cleveland
MVP: LBJ
ROTY: Noel
DPOY: Davis
MIP: Collison
Surprise team: Detroit
Flop team: Utah
Coach of the Year: Blatt

2015

HamzasEgo -
Champion: OKC
Finalist: Cleveland
MVP: KD
ROTY: Mudiay
DPOY: Gobert
MIP: Otto
Surprise team: Jazz
Flop team: Raptors
Coach of the Year: Donovan

Kaede -
Champion: San Antonio
Finalist: Cleveland
MVP: LBJ
ROTY: Mudiay
DPOY: DeAndre Jordan
MIP: C.J. McCollum
Surprise team: Jazz
Flop team: Hawks, Kings
Coach of the Year: Pops

Luqeh -
Champion: Cleveland
Finalist: Spurs
MVP: LBJ
ROTY: Mudiay
DPOY: Davis
MIP: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
Surprise team: Pistons
Flop team: Kings
Coach of the Year: Pop

Niall -
Champion: Spurs
Finalist: Cleveland
MVP: Harden
ROTY: Okafor
DPOY: Gobert
MIP: Oladipo
Surprise Team: Jazz
Flop Team: Suns
Coach of the Year: Quin Snyder

ForzaMilan23 -
Champion: OKC
Finalist: Cleveland
MVP: Durant
ROTY: Mudiay
DPOY: Kawhi
MIP: Mirotic
Surprise Team: Lakers
Flop Team: Raptors
Coach of the Year: Pop

MyAccount -
Champion: GSW
Finalist: Cleveland
MVP: LBJ
ROTY: Stanley Johnson
DPOY: Draymond Green
MIP: No idea
Surprise Team: Kings
Flop Team: Hawks
Coach of the Year: Pop

LAKiM -
Champion: Spurs
Finalist: Cleveland
MVP: KD
ROTY: Stanley Johnson
DPOY: Rudy Gobert
MIP: Reggie Jackson
Surprise Team: Jazz
Flop Team: Portland
Coach of the Year: Pop


stickey -
Champion: Grizzlies
Finalist: Cleveland
MVP: Harden
ROTY: Russell (D'Angelo)
DPOY: Davis (Anthony)
MIP: Valanciunas
Surprise Team: Magic
Flop Team: Heat
Coach of the Year: Joerger

Robert -
Champion: Spurs
Finalist: Cleveland
MVP: LeBron
ROTY: Mudiay
DPOY: Draymond Green
MIP: Otto Porter
Surprise Team: Magic
Flop Team: Portland
Coach of the Year:Pop

LeedsLester -
Champion: Cavs
Finalist: OKC
MVP: KD
ROTY: -
DPOY: DeAndre Jordan
MIP: Giannis
Surprise Team: Magic
Flop Team: Hawks
Coach of the Year: Gentry

Bear -
Champion: Spurs
Finalist: Cavs
MVP: Anthony Davis
ROTY: Mario Hezonja
DPOY: Tony Allen
MIP: Kyle Anderson
Surprise Team: Magic
Flop Team: Clippers
Coach of the Year: Pop

On3PoundFish -
Champion: San Antonio
Finalist: Cleveland
MVP: Harden
ROTY: Mudiay
DPOY: AD
MIP: Oladipo
Surprise Team: Magic
Flop Team: Mavs
Coach of the Year: Spoelstra

Useful links
http://www.nba.com/
http://www.basketball-reference.com/
http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/
bballbreakdown If you're new to the game or just want to understand a bit more about what goes on away from the ball
BallisLife

Daniel

Does Draymond have a shot at getting MIP and DPOY?

Cleveland

I'd say he gets MIP and comes second to Anthony Davis for DPOY. Hard to predict and he'll be in the running for both for sure

Cleveland

#neverforget

Handy Andy

Cavs are the best

benj

Cleveland wrote: »

#neverforget

bear

Kawhi might sneak into the MIP vote

Daniel

I read an article the other day that suggested Davis might not have played enough to warrant getting DPOY, which seems harsh. When was the last time a player from a team with a bottom five defensive rating won it?

Daniel

bear wrote: »

Kawhi might sneak into the MIP vote

Has to be a frontrunner for next season. Maybe Reggie?

Cleveland

Daniel wrote: »

I read an article the other day that suggested Davis might not have played enough to warrant getting DPOY, which seems harsh. When was the last time a player from a team with a bottom five defensive rating won it?

Idk and that could be why he doesn't win it, their defense overall isn't good.

Paul

I'd have Kawhi as more of a runner for DPOY than MIP. I think Draymond is in the conversation for both and probably wins one of them, just not sure which.

HamzasEgo

Russ #mvp

HamzasEgo

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/04/01/russell-westbrook-oklahoma-city-thunder-sports-illustrated

best article this year tbh

Dan13

Go Trawno #WeTheNorth

LeedsLester

ello

Raistlin

HamzasEgo wrote: »

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/04/01/russell-westbrook-oklahoma-city-thunder-sports-illustrated

best article this year tbh

Contains the quote of the year as well:

"His give a f--- level, is very, very high"

-Nick Collison

Kaede

Daniel wrote: »

bear wrote: »

Kawhi might sneak into the MIP vote

Has to be a frontrunner for next season. Maybe Reggie?

Jackson? God no, if so.

MIP is Draymond Green probably or Jimmy Butler.

Kaede

DPOY should be Davis or the panel is stupid. He's shattering so many record paces.

bear

I can't see Kawhi getting DPoY this year. He definitely has one in his future, but either has to be a year where he dominates the competition at his position or an off year for Anthony Davis and I'd say Nerlens Noel could definitely challenge for it in the future as well.

Cleveland

As amazing of a defender as he is, a swingman has to do something incredible to get the media hype to be DPOY. Still wouldn't be surprised if he gets one in a few years due to voter fatigue with Davis

Raistlin

If Whiteside can continue to improve he can definitely enter the conversation as well

Kaede

Noel, Whiteside, Davis, and Gobert. Even DJ.

Raistlin

Gobert is an animal

bear

Cleveland wrote: »

As amazing of a defender as he is, a swingman has to do something incredible to get the media hype to be DPOY. Still wouldn't be surprised if he gets one in a few years due to voter fatigue with Davis

Like they need either break records or be someone that everybody is watching regardless as to what they're doing, Kawhi is not that guy now and I'm not sure if he'll ever be on that level with the Spurs. I could see him being the same quiet star that Timmy is, and that just doesn't draw enough attention. And I'm not saying he will ever be as dominant a player as Tim Duncan, that's a once in a generation sort of thing, but simply being a fantastic player that shys away from the camera.

Speaking of once in a generation, I think we're all pretty lucky. Guys like Kobe, LeBron, Duncan, Dirk, 1/2 Shaq, and 1/4 Yao really should have been spread throughout history and we got to seem them all at once.

Kaede

Yao. ;-;

Kawhi will probably never be an award winner. He'll just be part of a great system in San Antonio and will have success that others dream of probably. If he went away, then it'd be a different story.

bear

I stand firm in the belief that had he not been struck down by the cruel hand of fate we'd recognize Yao over Jordan, as the best basketball player ever.

Cleveland

bear wrote: »

Cleveland wrote: »

As amazing of a defender as he is, a swingman has to do something incredible to get the media hype to be DPOY. Still wouldn't be surprised if he gets one in a few years due to voter fatigue with Davis

Like they need either break records or be someone that everybody is watching regardless as to what they're doing, Kawhi is not that guy now and I'm not sure if he'll ever be on that level with the Spurs. I could see him being the same quiet star that Timmy is, and that just doesn't draw enough attention. And I'm not saying he will ever be as dominant a player as Tim Duncan, that's a once in a generation sort of thing, but simply being a fantastic player that shys away from the camera.

Speaking of once in a generation, I think we're all pretty lucky. Guys like Kobe, LeBron, Duncan, Dirk, 1/2 Shaq, and 1/4 Yao really should have been spread throughout history and we got to seem them all at once.

He could get it if he averaged 2.5+steals a game and had a few amazing games on big stages near the end of a regular season. It's actually really unlikely he ever gets it now that I think about it and he def has the same persona as Timmy

Kobe, Lebron, Duncan, and Shaq are all top 10-20 all time if you think about it

Kaede

bear wrote: »

I stand firm in the belief that had he not been struck down by the cruel hand of fate we'd recognize Yao over Jordan, as the best basketball player ever.

Wouldn't go that far, but he would've easily been at top 15/20 player. At the very end of his career, he was literally a monster. He was so mean.

bear

Aside from dribbling, what wasn't he great at? Who would ever stop him? Something like Yao rules wouldn't even be able to exist because he'd been just that dominant. Imagine if both T-Mac and Yao were dealt better hands, they'd just shut it down. Superstars wouldn't have a choice but to join forces to stop that.

Kaede

I'm not sure you can just project a player's career like that though. There's been many players that have been fantastic and didn't surpass many greats. That's just overblown extension. It's just like saying that Walton would've been or Sabonis. It's the same argument that's happened since ever, for the oft injured big man, and honestly we'd have many "better than Jordan" players just like that. There's three right there.

Kaede