I have to think Detroit is #1 in the East....
The West is really too close to call....everyone is too closely matched.....but I think Phoenix isn't getting any better with Shaq. Still early and he just got back but I'm not impressed yet.
East
1. Detroit
2/3. Boston or Cleaveland (too close to call)
West
1-3 is a tie. San Antonio/Lakers/Houston
next three are close but on the 2nd tier
4 Dallas
5 New Orleanes
6 Phoenix
Anyone not on this list has no chance and is not worth mentioning (Utah is a bubble team)
The West is really too close to call....everyone is too closely matched.....but I think Phoenix isn't getting any better with Shaq. Still early and he just got back but I'm not impressed yet.
East
1. Detroit
2/3. Boston or Cleaveland (too close to call)
West
1-3 is a tie. San Antonio/Lakers/Houston
next three are close but on the 2nd tier
4 Dallas
5 New Orleanes
6 Phoenix
Anyone not on this list has no chance and is not worth mentioning (Utah is a bubble team)
Agree with you here lap. East is right on point, as the Pistons are clearly the best team right now. Nobody worth a shit in the East after those first four spots.
As for the West, Lakers are my number one for sure. 2 through 8 is a real tossup, but surely agree that the Suns, Dallas, and Denver are at the bottom.
Also, if you have time please give your input in this thread....http://therxforum.com/showthread.php?t=562890
Not saying anyone is right or wrong, but I still haven't heard anyone tell me who the last team to play average at best defense and win the championship was...
Top defensive teams win in the playoffs year after year. In my opinion, Lakers fans are delusional if they think that Bynum returning is going to make them a top defensive team. The kid has alot of work to do to become a good defender.
Top defensive teams win in the playoffs year after year. In my opinion, Lakers fans are delusional if they think that Bynum returning is going to make them a top defensive team. The kid has alot of work to do to become a good defender.
The Lakers are one of the better defensive teams in the league. They rank 4th in the NBA in defensive FG%, behind the Celtics, Pistons, and Rockets. That should be looked at as the main defensive category. Ppg allowed is more due to the style, or pace, that you play. So, you are 100% wrong here. The Lakers are already a team that plays good defense.
Not with Gasol in the lineup. He is a bigtime defensive liability. Kobe is a very nice defender, don't get me wrong, but the Lakers are going to get beat like red-headed stepchildren in the paint come playoff time. I think a team with a dominant center or paint presence could knock them out easily.
We can argue all day about this but I've said about all I can and we'll just have to wait until playoff time to see who is right I suppose.
Stats without Gasol in the lineup don't tell the story here. The Pistons have a good defense but if they traded their best defenders away and added guys who are weak on D, I don't care about the stats anymore... The Lakers downgraded their D in a big way down low and that's not the recipe to advance in the West.
