I just think it's fun. It's like Stratego using sports analytics. I only play if somebody on FightBeat is putting something together though. It seems sterile if it's just some random league with random people on it, and I don't gamble, so the FanDuel/DraftKings sites are not for me.
I like the shakeup Hoiberg made to the starting lineup. Gives them more scoring options. Bulls won but as usual, Bron will be shitting on them come playoffs time.
Thunder looking good, Spurs need a couple of months to gel. Can't wait for Warriors - Rockets. Nice rivalry in the making. Miami - Cleveland play tonight also.
Yeah, You CAN'T Just Throw a Collection of All Star Caliber Players Together & Expect them to IMMEDIATELY Flourish... The Spurs Will Be Fine... Hopefully Bron ISN'T Being Toooooooooo Buddy-Buddy w/DWade Tonight and Hopefully Love Gets the BETTER of his Stretch 4 Matchup w/Bosh... Warriors-Rockets???...Perhaps TexMex Will Make his 1st Fightbeat Appearance of the New Season... REED:hammert:
Yeah, Tex Mex disappeared. Not sure how Bron is playing, just put the game on. Cavs up by five or six. Kevin Love is a helluva passer. Could've been a quarterback easily.
Nice acquisition by Riley, Gerald Green is a nice spark off the bench for Miami. Cavs moving the ball very well, it's nice seeing Andy V back in there.
Man I know we say this every year, but that Western Conference.... This will be ultra competitive this season. It is going to be fun to watch. I think either the Spurs or Warriors will grab that number 1 seed but we shall see. Somebody else may emerge.
Couple few predictions. Cousins and Noah get traded this year. Bron has his first and only season ending injury this year (he's due) and if not will not be MVP as Durant will win it this year (he's due, he's in a contract year, he just had a big break and I ain't talking about the Jones fracture either). Also Thunder will win the title this season (they're due).
I can't see the Thunder winning the title. They have great talent but a lot of flaws and I don't believe they'll hold up mentally. Westbrook is a guy I highly respect, but he makes costly mistakes and Durant has proven time and time again that he cannot get it done in the post season. Just doesn't have it upstairs like all the true greats do.
If Billy Donovan manages to create an effective offensive system that involves his two stars, they could be favorites. That has always been their problem. They're both franchise players, Option A offensive players.
53 Points, 9 Dimes for Steph Curry, who's Picked Up Right Where he Left Off From Last Years MVP season... 8-14 from 3, 17-27 Overall...28 Points in the 3rd Qtr Alone... REED
Barring Injury, OKC will Very Much Be in the Championship Picture... No Squad has a 1-2 Punch On Par with Durant and Westbrook...And the Squad is Now Deeeeeeeper than it's EVER Been in the Durant/Westbrook Era... As Good as Steph Curry and Golden State Looks, REED's Got OKC or San Antonio Representing the West in the NBA Finals... REED
The "Problem" with OKC's Offense is Durant, in REED's Honest Opinion...He's a 6'11 PERIMETER Player...It's Fine and Dandy Being CAPABLE of Playing on the Perimeter, but Durant Does So Almost EXCLUSIVELY... Wouldn't Surprise REED at All if Westbrook Scored MORE Points in the Paint than Durant Does...In Durants MVP Season, his Jumper Went DRY in the Playoffs, to the Point the Clippers Used Chris Paul to Defend Him...Why, Because Durant Persisted in Shooting Jumper After Jumper (Usually at or Near the Top of the Key)... Granted, Durant will NEVER Be a Pure Post Up Player and his Handle WARRANTS a Degree of Perimeter Play...But If/When he's Having an Off Game Shooting, he Needs to Get his 6'11 Ass CLOSER to the Basket..... REED
durant is the second best player on the planet. westbrook has been the problem and until he defers to the more efficient scorer they wont win shit.
Bullshit!! That distinction goes to Melo!!! J/k. Top 5 players in the league, if I had to list em: 1. Bron 2. KD 3. Curry 4. Davis 5. Westbrook HM: Harden, CP3, Cousins.
guys who want to win realize when someone on the squad can score more efficiently than them self. no way should OKC come down 4 or 5 possessions in a row and durant doesnt touch the ball.
Durant Clearly Was the 2nd Best Player in the League, 2 SEASONS Ago...Not Sure That's Still the Case Though... Is Durant CLEARLY Better than Anthony Davis, Steph Curry (Since You Pointed Out EFFICIENCY) or Even his Own Teammate, Westbrook????... REED
That's Just it, Last Time Durant and Westbrook were in the PLAYOFFS Together, Durant Was Not Efficient.... Tony Allen Handled Him the Entire 1st Round Series and Durant Struggled Soooooooooo Bad in Round 2, the Clippers Managed to Defend him with Chris Paul's 5'10 Ass, for Loooooooooooong Stretches.... REED's Point is, Neither Durant Nor Westbrook Needs to Defer to the Other...Westbrook's a Top 5 Player in the League....Top 5 Guys DONT Defer... REED
It sure as Hell isn't CLEAR anymore. You can make a VERY STRONG argument that Curry is currently the league's #2. I'm simply still giving KD the benefit of the doubt, because his 2014 MVP season was phenomenal. But on second thought... I actually WOULD change my list and put Curry 2nd and KD 3rd. You gotta take into account INTANGIBLES. Curry is a legitimate LEADER, and just PROVED he can lead a team to a ring. A stacked team? Yes. But Curry was still the undisputed star and leader of the team. KD's leadership is questionable. I think Westbrook is definitely the LEADER of the team, even if KD is still its best player.
i like westbrook, always have. since he was at ucla. he's from here. but, durant is a once in a lifetime type hoop talent and his game doesnt mesh well with westbrook. they may still able to win a ring together but i doubt it personally. i dont really see the argument that durant is no longer the top guy behind james. he's young and will only get better. going against a younger prime james was obviously going to hurt his showing on the big stage. but, if they match up again its another story. i dont buy into him falling off. all of a sudden people forgot about the guy because he was hurt. davis is the guy who'd go #1 in an overall draft of all players, but durant is still 2, to me. put him with a real guy who can get him the ball and realizes his role in the offense and he'll flourish even more than with westbrook. westbrook is a top player in the league but i dont think he's a guy who will win it all unless his game changes. he's another version of iverson. great to watch, tremendous competitor, but hard to build a real championship team around unless the entire roster is built around his talents and shortcomings
i dont see it. westbrook wants to win as bad as anyone but his basketball IQ isnt there. he gets it and goes, 100 mph. curry is great but things fell into place for him and that team last season. we'll see how they do this year. the league is evolving and golden states roster fits what is in style. it certainly benefits durant as well. i dont see any evidence that curry(or westbrook) is a more of a leader than durant, at all. he played great in the least few games of the finals and they won vs a depleted cleveland team.
