Call Your Cavs Shot

[peeker643]

OJ's too effin' lazy to start this so I'll get er done.

Put it down for posterity's sake.

Cavs record-

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so)

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st?

You going down to the Q?

How much interest you have in this year's team?

Who wins the NBA title?

Who's the NBA MVP?

[StewieG]

Cavs record- 37-45

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so) N/A

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? No. Jamison's gone, possibly Mo and AP.

You going down to the Q? Hopefully

How much interest you have in this year's team? More than 2001's team. Less than last year's.

Who wins the NBA title? Unfortunately, Miami

Who's the NBA MVP? Durant

[swerb]

30-52

Jamison gets hurt, misses half the year. Mo gets dealt. No playoffs, obviously.

I'll watch a little bit less and watch a little more hockey. I'll still get down for my 8-10 games live though.

Lakers/Heat finals. Heat prolly wins, LeBron prolly wins MVP. Thank God for Great Lakes Brewery.

[GodHatesClevelandSport]

Cavs record- 27-55

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so) N/A

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? Bye bye Mo, Andy, Jamison.

You going down to the Q? Only as an afterthought.

How much interest you have in this year's team? Tons. I have a bet w/a buddy on the number of win -- 30 or less and he washes my car, more than 30 and I mow his lawn.

Who wins the NBA title? Lakers

Who's the NBA MVP? Durant

[Orenthal]

Cavs record- 48-34
Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so) 5th, second round exit.
Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? Yes, with an addition at the trade deadline.
You going down to the Q? Yes, probably in the area of 5 games, but not the Miami game.
How much interest you have in this year's team? Plenty, if you watched the Philly pre-season game Tom Jackson, of ESPN football, put it best. Cleveland, or me, loves the non-star underdog. If the team comes out and is somewhat successful I think that can take root.
Who wins the NBA title? Boston

Who's the NBA MVP? Durant

[peeker643]

Thank God for Great Lakes Brewery.

October 26th Christmas Ale hits the brew pub. Can't be long after that that it's in stores.

And then not long after that that it's sold out.

[swerb]

Thank God for Great Lakes Brewery.

October 26th Christmas Ale hits the brew pub. Can't be long after that that it's in stores.

And then not long after that that it's sold out.

First deliveries to stores the morning of Nov 1.

[peeker643]

Cavs record- 48-34
Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so) 5th, second round exit.
Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? Yes, with an addition at the trade deadline.
You going down to the Q? Yes, probably in the area of 5 games, but not the Miami game.
How much interest you have in this year's team? Plenty, if you watched the Philly pre-season game Tom Jackson, of ESPN football, put it best. Cleveland, or me, loves the non-star underdog. If the team comes out and is somewhat successful I think that can take root.
Who wins the NBA title? Boston

Who's the NBA MVP? Durant

Wow OJ- You subscribe to the Sam Amico "50 Wins" theory (almost anyway).
Because of the style of play, better tempo and more team oriented approach? Or do you think a couple guys step up and actually emerge without LBJ dominating the scene?

Or a little of both?

[Prosecutor]

I'm holding off on a prediction until I get to see them play real games for two weeks before the DirecTV sneak preview expires.

[Madre Hill, Superstar]

Magic 8-Ball is coming up murky on the Cavs. Depends on what they do with Mo, AP, and Antawn, and what we get in return. If they stay, I can see low 40 in wins and an 7/8 seed in the East.

Postseason: Lakers teach Heat why they build rosters more than three deep, if Superman doesn't finish them in the Conference Finals

[Orenthal]

Of course it can go many ways Peeks. My opinion obviously will not be of the majority, and I'm not naive enough to mount a stubborn defense. I see it as more or less beating up on teams below the top ten of the league. IMO we get spanked by the rest.

Style of play, conditioning, unlocking potential from players that are now involved, would be the catalysts. I also see Gilbert/Grant using that flex to add a piece at the deadline if we are even around .500 /w potential. That piece helps us to that high 40 region.

Flip side is that it can just as easy go south, and we plummet like all the depressed peeps here believe. If that were to happen I would fully expect to unload all those vets, but it won't be as easy as we all think with the looming labor uncertainty. Mo and Andy on longish deals... Might be better off holding Jamo till expiring blah blah details.

Anyhow I did hear Grant during the pre-game of the Philly game. He higlighted flexibility going forward and not making a rash emotional decisions. It was the first time I heard him off the buzz-word script, sounded somewhat competent.

[daddywags]

Cavs record- 28-54

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so)- No

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? - No

You going down to the Q? - No

How much interest you have in this year's team? - I'll watch most of the games on TV. I don't have a lot of interest in watching Mo Williams, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon as 3 of our starting 5, though. Yuck.

Who wins the NBA title? - Boston

Who's the NBA MVP? - Durant

[British_Pharaoh]

Cavs record - 38-44But it depends who's still here come trade deadline.

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so) - 8th seed if they're lucky

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? No, Jamison will certainly be gone, I'm sure AV and AP will be as well but I desperately hope they keep Mo.

You going down to the Q? Might be in America next season

How much interest you have in this year's team? They would be my focal point in the sports world if West Brom weren't doing so well. Cleveland sports usually take first place

Who wins the NBA title? Boston. They still have the guys and Rajon Rondo is paramount to their success.

Who's the NBA MVP? Kobe. I think writers are gonna find it difficult to give it to a Heat player considering the dream team it has become. Although I'm sure LeBron will still stand out from the other 2

[Larvell Blanks]

Cavs record- This one is tough b/c of their style of play. I'll say 40-42 but win total could be as low as 25

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so)based on my prediction, 7th or 8th. Don't advance to 2nd round but give their opponent all they can handle in round 1

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? If this team is hovering around .500, yes they're still here. If not, I see AV being traded for picks.

You going down to the Q? Will try to get down for a game or 2

How much interest you have in this year's team? I'll still sit and watch as many games as possible. The regular season now has some meaning as opposed to the past 2 years.

Who wins the NBA title? I think the Lakers win another one. The Heat will need a year together before they (unfortunately) put it together.

Who's the NBA MVP? Durant will break out this year. Kobe will be a close second as I think the circus in Miami will put him in a Jordan like zone all year. James could put a strangle hold on this award if he suddenly realizes he can have a complete game and averages 25-10-10.

[YahooFanChicago]

Cavs record- 38 to 40 wins

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so) 8th or N/A

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? No

You going down to the Q? I would but being 8000 miles away makes that not possible

How much interest you have in this year's team? substantial

Who wins the NBA title? LA Lakers. Phil and Kobe do what they do. One of the 3 Miami superfags gets hurt and misses substantial time showing why you need more then 3 guys to win a championship. Every team will want to play them hard and that will take it's toll over 82 games + playoffs.

Who's the NBA MVP? Durant

[DrPoove]

Cavs record 30-52

Playoffs No.

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? Bye Mo. Bye Antawn.

You going down to the Q? Two games. Free tickets for one. Some other on Dec. 2.

How much interest you have in this year's team? Little to none.

Who wins the NBA title? Boston

Who's the NBA MVP? Kevin Durant

[papacass]

Jamison gets dealt, but Mo and Andy stay. Byron Scott views Andy as the ideal center to run the Princeton offense (active feet and good at setting screens). He's the starting center for the foreseeable future, as long as his ankle holds up.

Mo is the only guard on this roster who can both create and make a jump shot. Sessions is a quick penetrator, but can't shoot. Boobie is a spot-up shooter. AP is old and Harris is an unknown quantity.

Jamison is the highest-paid player on the roster and he's 35 with creaky knees. He's too nice to say it, but he'd rather be playing for a title contender. I expect the Cavs to oblige, whether they're on pace for 25 wins or 45 wins. They'll try to flip Jamo into a younger player first, and if that doesn't work, a draft pick.

You can call it denial, but it really seems like the Cavs are treating this season more like a retool than an outright rebuild. Scott seems to think this team already has some pieces in place to be a high seed playoff team again in several years.

Gilbert wants to do what the Pistons did after losing Grant Hill: retool on the fly and re-emerge as a powerhouse again several years later. Best-laid plans and whatnot, but the Cavs' brass at least doesn't hurt for optimism and rah-rah spirit. I guess that's a good thing.

[fundamentals]

OJ's too effin' lazy to start this so I'll get er done.

Put it down for posterity's sake.

Cavs record- 28-54

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so)I don't think they will qualify.

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? No Jamison, No Mo

You going down to the Q? If I have free tickets

How much interest you have in this year's team? Lots. I want to see Gilbert watch his investment lose money.

Who wins the NBA title? Someone other than the Heat

Who's the NBA MVP? <<<<<<< see avatar

[Orenthal]

Mo is the only guard on this roster who can both create and make a jump shot. Sessions is a quick penetrator, but can't shoot. Boobie is a spot-up shooter. AP is old and Harris is an unknown quantity.

Obvious pre-season qualifier notwithstanding, I think people are just dead wrong on the bolded assumption. Boobie did what he was asked in the Mike Brown LeIso offense. So far <ahem> in the pre-season he has been getting to the line and shooting at a high percentage. (10-10, 1-2, 5-6, 6-6, 0-1, 3-4, 0-0)

He is still hitting the 3-ball and has has gotten to the hole and finished. Gibson will benefit the most from the Princeton offense.

[leadpipe]

Mo is the only guard on this roster who can both create and make a jump shot. Sessions is a quick penetrator, but can't shoot. Boobie is a spot-up shooter. AP is old and Harris is an unknown quantity.

Obvious pre-season qualifier notwithstanding, I think people are just dead wrong on the bolded assumption. Boobie did what he was asked in the Mike Brown LeIso offense. So far <ahem> in the pre-season he has been getting to the line and shooting at a high percentage. (10-10, 1-2, 5-6, 6-6, 0-1, 3-4, 0-0)

He is still hitting the 3-ball and has has gotten to the hole and finished. Gibson will benefit the most from the Princeton offense.

His problem thus far in his career, as far as becoming more than a jump shooter, ILO is his handle. Damn if there wasn't many a time he tried to go to the hole, but, as Wayland Boot would say, he got stripped more than an abandoned Caddy on 55th. That or he "John Mortoned" it off his foot.

To your point, an undersized cat with very average ball skills is going to benefit from this offense, I just think his limitations put a pretty low ceiling on that facet.

Same with his D, by the way. Love that way he's willing to "get at it," but there's some physical things that limit him.

But again, if he were a little bigger with point guard skills he'd a gone upper first round, and they'd be dicussing him on a Clippers board.

[Cerebral_DownTime]

OJ's too effin' lazy to start this so I'll get er done.

Put it down for posterity's sake.

Cavs record-

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so)

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st?

You going down to the Q?

How much interest you have in this year's team?

Who wins the NBA title?

Who's the NBA MVP?

Cavs 35-47

No playoffs

No idea.

lol. No.

I'm gonna watch the games I can, that's about it.

Lakers.

The Durantula

[Ziner]

Thank God for Great Lakes Brewery.

October 26th Christmas Ale hits the brew pub. Can't be long after that that it's in stores.

And then not long after that that it's sold out.

First deliveries to stores the morning of Nov 1.

Damnit. I am getting back to Toledo for the 29th to 31st. Was really hoping I could snag some before I get back for xmas. I am going to get my dad to store about 3-4 cases in the garage before it sells out for me to bring back.

[Gradysmanldy]

Maybe Gilbert can arrange a subsidized christmas ale sale at the Q, 2 for 1.....bet that would fill the seats and make the product more palatable.

[Ziner]

Maybe Gilbert can arrange a subsidized christmas ale sale at the Q, 2 for 1.....bet that would fill the seats and make the product more palatable.

Kinda like 10 cent beer night with 7.5% ABV, I like it. I vote for December 2nd as a possible date.

[Gradysmanldy]

Maybe Gilbert can arrange a subsidized christmas ale sale at the Q, 2 for 1.....bet that would fill the seats and make the product more palatable.

Kinda like 10 cent beer night with 7.5% ABV, I like it. I vote for December 2nd as a possible date.

Excellent. The TCF poll for the day can be, "# of alchohol related arrests at the Q"

[Ziner]

Cavs record- 36-46

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so) nah, still hoping for an 8 so we can play the Heat

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? No, Mo is dealt

You going down to the Q? I wish, I think I will make it to the game in Denver though, I would like too... will probably end up just skiing instead.

How much interest you have in this year's team? A good amount, in an odd way it will be interesting to see how it plays out and how this team gets shaped

Who wins the NBA title? Lakers

Who's the NBA MVP? Durant

[rebelwithoutaclue]

Cavs record- 40-42

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so) - 7th seed - lose in 1st round to Magic

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? Yes, nobody will want our trash unless we're offering up Varejao for next to nothing

You going down to the Q? Probably one or two games

How much interest you have in this year's team? First and foremost I'm a Cavs fan, not a Lebron fan (not to say I wasn't a Lebron fan when he was on the Cavs but you get the picture); I'll watch regardless of whose on the team.

Who wins the NBA title? Lakers over Magic - size still rules; apparently Miami didn't get that memo, good luck with Joel Anthony as the starting 5; also OKC makes the Western Conference Finals (Cole Aldrich is just what they needed inside) but not this year KD

Who's the NBA MVP? Durant is as much of a sure thing as you can find (unless he gets injured), he's already been crowned.

[papacass]

His problem thus far in his career, as far as becoming more than a jump shooter, ILO is his handle. Damn if there wasn't many a time he tried to go to the hole, but, as Wayland Boot would say, he got stripped more than an abandoned Caddy on 55th. That or he "John Mortoned" it off his foot.

To your point, an undersized cat with very average ball skills is going to benefit from this offense, I just think his limitations put a pretty low ceiling on that facet.

The core problem with Gibson is that he's just not that fast. You look at Mo, who has some quicks, and Sessions, who is one of the fastest small guards out there, and Gibson's shortcomings on the drive become apparent.

His average handle becomes below average when you consider that he lacks the ability to explode past defenders, giving them a chance to get a hand in there and strip the ball.

The benefit that Boobie will draw from the Princeton is that it relies on screens and ball movement, so if he can get open, the shots will (or should) be there. He may get to the rim with some more regularity if the screens and lanes are there, but his outside shot will always be his ultimate value to any team. He just lacks the physical gifts to become a dynamic player.

[aoxo1]

Cavs record- 35-47
Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so) Nope. I think this is the year a winning record is required for the East.

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? No sir.

You going down to the Q? Flight is a little long.

How much interest you have in this year's team? Moderate. Not enough to buy League Pass again, but enough to consider it.

Who wins the NBA title? Heat. LeBron actually caring/focusing makes a big difference.

Who's the NBA MVP? Durant

[RickNashEquilibrium]

Damnit. I am getting back to Toledo for the 29th to 31st. Was really hoping I could snag some before I get back for xmas. I am going to get my dad to store about 3-4 cases in the garage before it sells out for me to bring back.

Hows this - I've started to trade beers on beer advocate. If you want to mail me a 6 of Ten Fidy or other west coast shit that I cant get here in Cleveland, Ill mail you a 6 of Christmas Ale. I'm always down for an exchange.

[RickNashEquilibrium]

Cavs record - 42-40

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so) - 7th seed, out in 2nd

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? - No, Jamison is gone

You going down to the Q? - Depends on how much this ring ends up costing me...

How much interest you have in this year's team? - I made it through the Potopenko/Pilacio/Anderson/Gatlin/Mihm years, this year will be fine. I'm watching.

Who wins the NBA title? - Thunder

Who's the NBA MVP? - Durant

[FUDU]

I think the Cavs will put forth an admirable effort, but will end up on the short end of the stick a lot. No go to guy, nobody to take over any phase of the game.

25-57, I can see a putrid back end of the season if any type of injury bug comes along. I think they ship a couple guys out in hopes of some young talent.

Lakers champs.

Wade as MVP. (if LBJ facilitates, if not LeBron).

[skatingtripods]

Put it down for posterity's sake.

Cavs record- 33-49

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so) N/A

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? No, Mo, AJ, and Varejao are all gone.

You going down to the Q? For Monsters games, yes.

How much interest you have in this year's team? Zero, but that's nothing new.

Who wins the NBA title? El Heat.

Who's the NBA MVP? KD

[skatingtripods]

25-47, I can see a putrid back end of the season if any type of injury bug comes along. I think they ship a couple guys out in hopes of some young talent.

Do they forfeit the last ten games?

[fightdr]

40-42
#8 seed and they beat the Heat in round 1
No major deals
Going to a few home games.
I'm more interested now than ever. I love Byron Scott, he was one of my favorite players as a kid.
Lakers beat the celts for the title.
Durant. MVP.

[jb]

OJ's too effin' lazy to start this so I'll get er done.

Put it down for posterity's sake.

Cavs record-

28 - 54

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so)

B wahahahahahahahhahahahaha!

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st?

No. And we have "principals" ?

You going down to the Q?

Only if my 9 year old daughter can talk me into taking her to see Taylor Swift. She's pretty effective at paternal manipulation.

How much interest you have in this year's team?

Kelvin Zero. No, John Lucas Zero. Like the Randy Wittman Era was the 2007 Pistons Series interest.

Who wins the NBA title?

Lakers if Bynum holds up.

Who's the NBA MVP?

Durant. Cavs MVP is the marketing department and Dan Gilbert schedules indoor skate park and casino nights for next June. $ 100 for a family pass to rwide some half-pipes for 3 hours.

REKE IS PIEEEEEEIMP! NBA ISN'T SUPERSTAR DRIVIN. I HATE ALL OF YOU! I LIVE IN BACK BAY YOU BITCHES SO WHAT DO ANY OF YOU KNOW?

I miss Lee. OJ gonna have to step he snotty up.

[noles1]

Cavs record- 31-51

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so) - No

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? Jamo gone, Parker and Moon gone too. (For picks and maybe a couple young pieces)

You going down to the Q? Probably a couple times

How much interest you have in this year's team? Mild interest in the Cavs, minimal interest in the NBA. WIll box score watch just to hope the Heat lose.

Who wins the NBA title? Celtics

Who's the NBA MVP? Durant

[FUDU]

25-47, I can see a putrid back end of the season if any type of injury bug comes along. I think they ship a couple guys out in hopes of some young talent.

Do they forfeit the last ten games?

Strike, and Matt Williams will be on pace to break single season scoring record.

[peeker643]

The TCF Staff weighs in: http://theclevelandfan.com/cleveland-ca ... le-2010-11

[Loo]

Cavs record-39-43

Playoffs (seed and how far they advance if so)--yes, 8th seed, by one game. Heat, Magic, Celtics, Bulls, Bucks and Hawks all win over 48 games.

Are all the principals still on the roster come March 1st? Nope

You going down to the Q? Either to the Heat or Lakers game, yes.

How much interest you have in this year's team? More interest than ever, believe it or not.

Who wins the NBA title? Lakers

Who's the NBA MVP? Everyone's loving Durant already, so he takes it.

[peeker643]

BTW- I think there's a lot of weight in Chris's point in the above article. The point about the softness of the Heat.

Argue if you will but:

LBJ is soft. Guy's been coddled and protected since he was 13. Man's body but a child's level of self defense and willingness to assert himself. May have been born in poverty and relative slums but dude NEVER fought his way out.

Bosh is soft. He's not a physical player in any sense. Guy would be more aptly called an 'elegant' player than tough or physical.

Wade may be tougher than the others but he's got a glass jaw. Dude has a lot of aches and pains from his style of play and even if he's tougher than the other two that's like being the hottest chick in a 'Big Girl Pageant'.

It's going to be an issue when they face teams with bigs and teams with legit bad-asses. I think they come out like punks more than a few nights.

And also btw, the Cavs are in the same boat. But they aren't looking at title contention where that may be the fatal flaw.

[Ziner]

If the Lakers are healthy I still can't quite put together in my mind how the Heat can beat them. With Barnes, Artest and Kobe to defend Lebron and Wade and with the Heat having no one who could defend Bynum I just don't see it. Maybe they will prove me wrong, maybe the Lakers get knocked off, but I don't see the Heat having the pieces to stop the Lakers.

[peeker643]

To Ziner's point:

From ESPN Insider - Player X (supposedly a real player in the sport the article is about)

I know fans love predictions from the experts. Well, you can listen to guys who have never even played in the NBA -- or, in a few cases, haven't played for a while -- or you can take it from me, a real player who's on the court every single game. Here's my view of how things will go down in the 2010-11 season:

SURPRISE TEAM: KNICKS
New York may have missed out on LeBron, but Amar'e Stoudemire is a great consolation prize. He doesn't rebound, but he's one of the best players in the league and he's playing in the perfect system for him. And that's not all I like about the Knicks. That Danilo Gallinari is dangerous. Starting this season, he'll become a mini-Durant -- and that will pose a major matchup nightmare for teams. With Amar'e in the middle, Gallinari has the ability to hit 10 3s a game, and he's developing his mid-range shot and dribble, too. They've definitely got some pieces to be excited about. But they're not getting that big piece from Denver ...

THE DEAL THAT WON'T HAPPEN: MELO TO THE KNICKS
I'm not sure Melo actually wants to play defense, but that's fine. He's the second-best scorer in the league behind Kevin Durant. He wants to carry his team, he has the balls to be scary in the playoffs and, most importantly, he wants to win. Well, Denver knows this stuff, too, and that's why they aren't sending him anywhere. You can't get close to equal value for a guy like that. Oh, and will someone please relay this message to Chicago: You guys are crazy! If I'm the Bulls, I give up Noah and my first-born to get Melo. Noah is a nice player, but he's no Melo. Their hard-bargain makes zero sense.

THE (ODD) DEAL THAT COULD HAPPEN: MELO TO THE LAKERS (NEXT SUMMER)
I'm hearing Carmelo to LA. People are saying the Lakers are looking for a new face who can step in to replace Kobe when he's ready to retire. It's never too early to start looking for your next star, I guess.

MVP: KEVIN DURANT
No chance Kobe wins another MVP. That means the next few (or more) MVPs will be awarded to the kid in Oklahoma City. Forget LeBron, D-Wade and Melo. They all had their shot. It's over for them. They're going to step aside -- or get pushed aside -- by KD. He'll average 35 ppg and I predict that, in a season not far away, he'll average 50, easy. He's that good. And, at that point, you might see the first player in modern history to require a triple-team. He will absolutely go down as one of the top five players in the history of the NBA, alongside MJ, Kobe, Wilt and Bill Russell. That KD, he's the real story of the season. Don't sleep on him.

EAST FINALS: HEAT OVER CELTICS
They're a little older, sure, but the Celtics are at least two-deep at every position, and that's as good as we've seen them. The second-best moves of the offseason happened in Boston. It's just too bad Shaq is too lazy and too into being a TV star to get in top shape -- he could play four more years if he wanted to -- but he's still a beast in the paint. And forget what you've heard about Jermaine O'Neal being washed up. He's not. In fact, he's hungry and healthy, and he's more of a team player now and is still very effective on the court. If he's your fifth-best player, you are a dangerous team. But still not quite good enough.

The Cs are scared of Miami -- I've personally heard this from one of their horse's mouths -- and with good reason. I already covered the Heat in my previous column, but I like them even more now. They'll be a beast because the Big Three will share the wealth. None of them is selfish, they can all pass and they're three of the smartest players I've seen. (Yeah, I'm including Chris Bosh. Smart dude.) It's like the Celtics when they got their Big Three, but with three differences: These guys are a) younger, b) more talented and c) going home without their rings.

WEST FINALS: LAKERS OVER THUNDER
I know some guys in LA, and they say the Thunder will be their most formidable opponent. They aren't a year or two away from being special -- they're already there. But the Lakers are just too damn good, and that was before they fortified their bench, swapping Jordan Farmar for Steve Blake, DJ Mbenga for Theo Ratliff and adding that feisty Matt Barnes.

NBA CHAMPIONS: LAKERS
Ron Artest disrupts LeBron as much as anybody can. Kobe wins his matchup with D-Wade. And sorry, CB -- Gasol is the best "4" in the league. Now, crazy things can happen. Let's say Bynum is gimpy, LeBron plays out of his mind and Fat Shaq is so driven to beat his old team that he whips himself into Semi-Fat Shaq. Fine. Still, Kobe tips the scale. Forget MVPs. He's well on his way to becoming the best ever. The Heat will be a tough out -- LA will have to win another Game 7 -- but a healthier-than-last-season Kobe will average whatever he needs to average ... series over.

[leadpipe]

BTW- I think there's a lot of weight in Chris's point in the above article. The point about the softness of the Heat.

Argue if you will but:

LBJ is soft. Guy's been coddled and protected since he was 13. Man's body but a child's level of self defense and willingness to assert himself. May have been born in poverty and relative slums but dude NEVER fought his way out.

Bosh is soft. He's not a physical player in any sense. Guy would be more aptly called an 'elegant' player than tough or physical.

Wade may be tougher than the others but he's got a glass jaw. Dude has a lot of aches and pains from his style of play and even if he's tougher than the other two that's like being the hottest chick in a 'Big Girl Pageant'.

It's going to be an issue when they face teams with bigs and teams with legit bad-asses. I think they come out like punks more than a few nights.

And also btw, the Cavs are in the same boat. But they aren't looking at title contention where that may be the fatal flaw.

They'd be in trouble in the 70's, but in today's NBA - especially in relation to stars....you look at a superstar the wrong way you're suspended.

I think this relates to the Sac Kings as well - they've put together a big, physical team, a team several years ago I'd be real interested in seeing turned loose. Not sure they're gonna fit in today's game. I'm interested in seeing though.

[peeker643]

They'd be in trouble in the 70's, but in today's NBA - especially in relation to stars....you look at a superstar the wrong way you're suspended.

I think this relates to the Sac Kings as well - they've put together a big, physical team, a team several years ago I'd be real interested in seeing turned loose. Not sure they're gonna fit in today's game. I'm interested in seeing though.

Undoubtedly Mike. I agree 100%.

But I'm talking when you get down to the nitty gritty and you've got superstars v. superstars in the ECF or the NBA Finals. Kobe, Artest, Gasol, Garnett, Pierce, Shaq, etc, all of them will be on as close to equal footing with Wade and Bron as anyone will be all year. Bosh isn't getting every call against Garnett or Gasol like he will against Charlotte or Milwaukee. And I think when it gets down to a physical game or series the Heat could suffer for their lack of toughness.

Although I'm willing to readily admit it could all be wishful thinking.

[Fire Marshall Bill]

Kobe gets his 6th ring, ties Jordan and the Zen Master assumes his throne as the best ever

As for LeBitch and the Miami Meat, there's nothing like high expectations to gaurantee failure

[FUDU]

MVP: KEVIN DURANT
No chance Kobe wins another MVP. That means the next few (or more) MVPs will be awarded to the kid in Oklahoma City. Forget LeBron, D-Wade and Melo. They all had their shot. It's over for them. They're going to step aside -- or get pushed aside -- by KD. He'll average 35 ppg and I predict that, in a season not far away, he'll average 50, easy. He's that good. And, at that point, you might see the first player in modern history to require a triple-team. He will absolutely go down as one of the top five players in the history of the NBA, alongside MJ, Kobe, Wilt and Bill Russell. That KD, he's the real story of the season. Don't sleep on him.

I think this guy misses a big point, some other national media guys have hit on, KD will/can win the award but it will not be solely b/c of what he does, in part it wil lbe b/c of what LeBron has already done (on and off the court). LeBron is getting no breaks this season, in any way shape or form, so the next most logical conclusion is KD as MVP.

But the 50ppg comment, get real. Yeah he could, so could a handful of guys, but it wouldn't come without completely risking one's own team's success in the W column. As much as it pains me to say it LeBron could do it much more easily than KD b/c of his runaway train nature to his game, thanks to his beastly physique and athleticism. KD simply doesn't have that natural brute force and power to just out physical a D and score against resistance like LBL. KD would have to do it with more technical approach.