NBA forecast
Let me first say that I detest the NBA for what it has done to the game of basketball. The beauty of the college and high school game is in the movement on the court. It's five players constantly swinging, curling, cutting and passing in order to get around or through defensive players who try their best to stick like glue to a defender.
The NBA, on the other hand, is usually three guys standing off to the sides while a point guard and a big man pass the ball back and forth before one of them goes one-on-one against a defender who is so afraid of being blown by that he sags off. Besides, unless it's the playoffs he doesn't really care whether he wins or loses, and knows the game will come down to the final two minutes regardless.
The NBA has been bogged down by fancy dribbling, made possible by a lax enforcement of actual rules such as traveling (including double dribbling and carrying) and an inconsistent definition of what constitutes a foul on either the offense or defense. The 24-second clock makes setting up a team play less useful than letting one guy try and beat his man, which leads me to my other point.
One-on-one pickup basketball has led to NBA players being so good at certain skills, and so bad at others, that they don't need teammates to score. While NBA guys can't shoot very well, they can get to the rim like never before on their own. In short, I think part of what makes the NBA boring to watch is that the players are too talented. In the college game, those five guys NEED each other to score. And they work together to do it.
And yet I can't stop paying attention to the league, at least moderately. So with the season starting tonight, and no way to prove that last year I seriously had the Spurs over the Cavaliers in the Finals in my October prediction, I'm putting these in writing this time around.
Eastern Conference seeds (Division winners in bold)
1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Cleveland
4. Chicago
5. Washington
6. New Jersey
7. New York
8. Miami
Playoffs
First round
Boston over Miami; Detroit over New York; Cleveland over New Jersey; Washington over Chicago
Second round
Boston over Washington; Cleveland over Detroit
East Finals
Boston over Cleveland.
West Conference seeds
1. Phoenix
2. San Antonio
3. Dallas
4. Houston
5. Denver
6. Utah
7. Sacramento
8. L.A. Lakers
Playoffs
First round
Phoenix over Lakers; San Antonio over Sacramento; Dallas over Utah; Houston over Denver
Second round
Phoenix over Houston; San Antonio over Dallas
West Finals
Phoenix over San Antonio
NBA FINALS
Phoenix over Boston
The NBA, on the other hand, is usually three guys standing off to the sides while a point guard and a big man pass the ball back and forth before one of them goes one-on-one against a defender who is so afraid of being blown by that he sags off. Besides, unless it's the playoffs he doesn't really care whether he wins or loses, and knows the game will come down to the final two minutes regardless.
The NBA has been bogged down by fancy dribbling, made possible by a lax enforcement of actual rules such as traveling (including double dribbling and carrying) and an inconsistent definition of what constitutes a foul on either the offense or defense. The 24-second clock makes setting up a team play less useful than letting one guy try and beat his man, which leads me to my other point.
One-on-one pickup basketball has led to NBA players being so good at certain skills, and so bad at others, that they don't need teammates to score. While NBA guys can't shoot very well, they can get to the rim like never before on their own. In short, I think part of what makes the NBA boring to watch is that the players are too talented. In the college game, those five guys NEED each other to score. And they work together to do it.
And yet I can't stop paying attention to the league, at least moderately. So with the season starting tonight, and no way to prove that last year I seriously had the Spurs over the Cavaliers in the Finals in my October prediction, I'm putting these in writing this time around.
Eastern Conference seeds (Division winners in bold)
1. Boston
2. Detroit
3. Cleveland
4. Chicago
5. Washington
6. New Jersey
7. New York
8. Miami
Playoffs
First round
Boston over Miami; Detroit over New York; Cleveland over New Jersey; Washington over Chicago
Second round
Boston over Washington; Cleveland over Detroit
East Finals
Boston over Cleveland.
West Conference seeds
1. Phoenix
2. San Antonio
3. Dallas
4. Houston
5. Denver
6. Utah
7. Sacramento
8. L.A. Lakers
Playoffs
First round
Phoenix over Lakers; San Antonio over Sacramento; Dallas over Utah; Houston over Denver
Second round
Phoenix over Houston; San Antonio over Dallas
West Finals
Phoenix over San Antonio
NBA FINALS
Phoenix over Boston
Labels: basketball, NBA
posted by Ryan Pipke at
3:13 AM
1 Comments:
Speaking of basketball as I enjoy the next team of mine in Boston to win a championship...
Remember how good basketball used to be in the 80s? I watch the old clips with my dad (lifelong Celtics fan) all the time. Those games are like poetry in motion to watch, with passing, defense, and everything else.
Basketball is not quite the same and never will be, but some teams are fun to watch. The Celtics will be fun this year, and the Suns and Spurs too.
As an aside, the Celtics will beat the Suns. Not the Spurs (Curse you ping pong balls for not giving us Tim Duncan) but I think the Suns can be beat in seven.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home