NBA 2012-2013 season has started!

[hazelkrs1]

Plus, I haven't started a thread here in QUITE a while.

 

Who's gonna be watching? Anyone NOT loving the Lakers' struggles this early in the season?

 

What in the world was OKC thinking trading Harden?!?!?!?!

[randomh3r0]

I'll be busy watching a real sport: American football. Go Seahawks! :)

[WWWwombat]

OKC was thinking that they wouldn't be able to re-sign him so they might as well get something for him. Kevin Martin is pretty good, and a 1st round pick isn't anything to sneeze at.

 

Also, go Celtics!

[Tiinker]

K Martin is great but he plays like KD. Harden had a totally different play style and I think without them they've pretty much thrown away their chance for a championship this year. Lamb and Martin are both great players (or will be) but OKC seems to be thinking more long-term.

 

Heat still beasts. Can't wait to see the new Rockets form. Hornets will also be interesting. Lakers lost every single game in the pre-season - no team has ever lost every single game and then come back to win the championships, though with their roster it's still got da potential.. have no idea how they lost to the Kings and shiz though..

[Turin Turambar]

Lakers are gonna be like the Heat were two years ago when they struggled mightily the first half of the season and then took off and went all the way to the finals before flaming out. At least the part where they struggle early. Then staying healthy will be the big key for how far they go.

 

OKC elected to trade early. Harden is a great player and will help the Rockets.

[Niniel]

B as in baseball? Or basketball?

[Turin Turambar]

Basketball. The NBA in particular. US pro league.

[The Wolf King]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Lakers don't win a championship this year. They really just need the time to play together as a group. I'm still not sold on the Princeton offense they are running and their defense is atrocious. But its only two games in so far.

 

Anyone agree with Magic Johnson that they should trade Gasol to Atlanta for Josh Smith?

[Tiinker]

Harden awwwwwww yeah

[hazelkrs1]

OKC dropped the ball, plain and simple. They got a good haul in return for him, don't get me wrong. But this trade was def a mistake. And Harden is proving it. By the end of the year, he might be considered a top 10 player. You just don't trade away a guy like that when you just went to the finals just because he wouldn't take less than the max.

 

And OKC shot themselves in the foot in another way too: Not only did they basically defer to Westbrook constantly, and defend him even tho he's extremely inefficient, and Harden is the model of efficiency, but they also were unable to offer a 5 yr extension cause they had already used up their alotted 2 contracts like that to Westbrook and Ibaka. Ibaka is a great young forward, don't get me wrong, but it was moronic for OKC to place priority to signing HIM to a longer deal than signing Harden to one.

 

Harden >>> Westbrook basically. They'll still contend, but in late game situations when Harden started to shine last year, they'll prob falter a lot more this year.

 

As for LA, I just don't think the new additions will make as much of an impact as people think. Nash's body is pretty much ready to quit on him, even tho he takes immaculate care of himself. But I've seen him lying on the floor in games for years now, that back just won't let him be as effective as he could be. And he was able to hide his deficiencies in recent years because he knew the offense so well. He was the equivalent to Peyton Manning, not having much athletic ability still but knowing how to read the field so well he could still manage the game so well. In the princeton offense he won't be able to do that.

 

And I'm sorry, but I just don't see Dwight as being that huge of an upgrade compared to Bynum. He still fouls a lot, and won't have the same impact offensively that he had in Orlando.

 

I think injuries and depth will hurt LA a lot this year. This isn't the first time they loaded up with stars but did nothing- remember Gary Payton and Karl Malone joining the team?

 

Spurs will drive for five this year baby!!!!

 

 

 

This man. He is the Spurs future. Kawow!!!!

[The Wolf King]

So far Dwight has done just as well offensively if not better then Bynum. And with Howard, at least I know he will always try where Bynum looked bored at times.

 

And for that Laker team that had Payton and Malone, lets not forget Malone was injured the whole finals. That team had so much problems internally and yet still made it to the finals.

 

But I do agree everything you said about OKC. And yeah, Kawhi Leonard is amazing.

[Tyler Glembo]

HEAT!!!!!! I'm a D-Wade fan for life. Never really liked Lebron but after last year he is growing on me.

 

As for the Lakers, they have talent but seeing Nash in the gold jersey is just wrong somehow, let it be a curse on them. OKC is going to be as good as Durant, Spurs are always great, etc etc.

 

The team I'm going to have fun watching this year is going to be the Bucks. Jennings is just an exciting player.