ECF: Cleveland vs. ________

[aj1987]

do you? Wanna bet on it?

Sure. 1 year avy bet? I actually honor my bets and expect you to do the same. That might to expecting too much from a Nazi though.

AJ probably thought the Heat would make the playoffs last year

I actually did, before all the injuries. Just like how to expected the Cav's to win the Finals or how you claimed to be a die hard Heat/Dragic/Suns fan on your other accounts.

[TheMarkMadsen]

Kyrie and Wade aren't even top 5 in the conference



Paul George

John Wall

Melo

D Rose

Butler

Gasol

Isiah Thomas



Are all better imo, East is talented

Melo doesn't play on a good team, Thomas isn't better than healthy Irving or healthy Wade and Thomas doesn't play on a good team either so who cares.

I'll give you Butler, not Gasol. I trust Wade more in the PO than Gasol. D Rose LOL, Wall doesn't play on a good team either.

No point in listing players on sub .500 teams when talking about potential ECF match ups

[ArbitraryWater]

Sure. 1 year avy bet? I actually honor my bets and expect you to do the same. That might to expecting too much from a Nazi though.


I actually did, before all the injuries. Just like how to expected the Cav's to win the Finals or how you claimed to be a die hard Heat/Dragic/Suns fan on your other accounts.

1 year is very long but okay. I've actually had avy bets on here before and honored them if I lost, I don't care enough for me to refuse to put a picture above my username.

Whats the bet? You think Heat will make ECF I say no? That seems unfair to you, unless you're really convinced they are, I say the Heat won't be a top 4 seed OR won't make the second round, we can settle for either or both, you could go for the opposite.

[ArbitraryWater]

We did forget Lowry.. making Kyrie the 5th best East player.

1. Bron
2. PG
3. Lowry
4. Butler
5. Kyrie
6. Drummond
7. Rozan

edit: **** it.. too much of a hassle to round it out with Wall/Gasol/Whiteside/Bosh/Wade/Love/Porzingis

[Wade's Rings]

you did too. seeing as you were a heat fan last year

[TheMarkMadsen]

I actually think the East is better this year and I'm excited for the PO's more than usual. Will be interesting to see if The HEAT can stay healthy. I think the Bulls, HEAT and Hawks will end up in the ECF against the Cavs.

I also think that Melo and Porzingy could be a scary 7th or 8th seed

[game3524]

I mean.... they weren't elite teams then, and I doubt those teams would win 50 games now.... Its just a deeper league, in general, since circa 2011 or so.

Its not a bias either, LeBron's 06-08 teams wouldn't be winning as much as they did either.

I will keep refering back to the Nash Grantland Videos they did, and in an Interview/Dinner with Dirk he himself said the league right now is alot deeper (2014) than when he won 60 what not games in 2006, 2007, he didn't see himself re-peating that type of success with those teams, it wouldn't work with Howard/Terry/Harris/etc. as main help.

In 2014 Barkley said on TNT this is the deepest he's ever seen the NBA to be. This could basically fit in this thread and the kidd/paul/gp thread right now on the top page where Young X said the early 2000's Nets wouldn't make the playoffs in the 2014 West.. they probably wouldn't, thats how huge the difference is. I'd have them only infront of the Blazers as team.

Those teams outside the top 8 in the 2008-2010 West weren't really the good bottom type of teams, which in turn lifts the records of the top 8 a decent bit.

I mean, the Boozer/Williams Jazz? Boozer even back then never played much defense, hence was a bit of a blackhole. Not one to really create much for himself.

The 2008 Nuggets were dysfunctional as hell.. Suns were surprisingly mediocre with Shaq, only when they let him go they were an elite team again (2010, my mistake for not mentioning them earlier).



Dude come on

Kyrie is better than anyone but PG and arguably Butler

This is the weakest the NBA has been in terms of good teams, especially in the western conference.

Those western conference teams from 2008-10 would still win 50+ games now. Especially when we are talking about teams lead by prime Dirk, Nash, Duncan etc.

[Wade's Rings]

We did forget Lowry.. making Kyrie the 5th best East player.

1. Bron
2. PG
3. Lowry
4. Butler
5. Kyrie
6. Rozan
7. Drummond
8. Wall
9. Gasol
10. Love

off the top of my head.. honestly I could totally go with Porzingis instead of Love.

[game3524]

He is a Lebron stan.....this is expected.

[DaOldLion]

Melo doesn't play on a good team, Thomas isn't better than healthy Irving or healthy Wade and Thomas doesn't play on a good team either so who cares.

I'll give you Butler, not Gasol. I trust Wade more in the PO than Gasol. D Rose LOL, Wall doesn't play on a good team either.

No point in listing players on sub .500 teams when talking about potential ECF match ups

Agree with this but Thomas has been very, very good this year and we shouldn't underrate him. Small players get overlooked too much. He's on my fantasy team and always does well

[dubeta]

You expected Wade in the top 10??

U mad bro?

[TheMarkMadsen]

Agree with this but Thomas has been very, very good this year and we shouldn't underrate him. Small players get overlooked too much. He's on my fantasy team and always does well

he's been good but smaller guards who mainly score don't usually fair well in the playoffs when the game slows down. This Celtics team has been very surprising but I don't think they will make any noise in the playoffs.

FA's should be taking note of Boston's success, imagine what they could do with a superstar on this team.

[ArbitraryWater]

This is the weakest the NBA has been in terms of good teams, especially in the western conference.

Those western conference teams from 2008-10 would still win 50+ games now. Especially when we are talking about teams lead by prime Dirk, Nash, Duncan etc.

Its so weak, yet LAC/HOU are still better 4-6 seeds than the 2008-2010 West had... Duncan was looking to be declining those years, it was only until his resurgence 2012-on. He didn't lead those teams, and he was definitely not in his prime... plus they were routinely banged up in the playoffs.

Just this off-season people announced the West to be the GOAT conference, its way worse than expected, but not that bad.

At least you still got a 70-win level team in GSW, a 65-win level team in SAS, and a 60-win level team in OKC... those 3 would rule the 2008-2010 West, I'd give LAL the upper hand so far on OKC but thats it.

You expected Wade in the top 10??

U mad bro?

Well, he is named "Wade's Rings", if he thought he'd see Wade or Bosh a set in stone top 10 East player then he's in for some disappointments

[Wade's Rings]

I got my money on Indiana or Miami.

They're only teams with star capable of producing in the playoffs and carrying a team.

He is a Lebron stan.....this is expected.

True.

You expected Wade in the top 10??

U mad bro?

I put a laughing smiley and you think I'm mad?

[TheMarkMadsen]

We did forget Lowry.. making Kyrie the 5th best East player.

1. Bron
2. PG
3. Lowry
4. Butler
5. Kyrie
6. Drummond
7. Rozan

edit: **** it.. too much of a hassle to round it out with Wall/Gasol/Whiteside/Bosh/Wade/Love/Porzingis

lmao at no Melo. He's been playing really good defense this year and his rebounding better than usual, passing better than usual and is still good for 22 per game.