[TitusTroy]

it's that time of year!...the new NBA season is just 2 weeks away...I haven't been this excited for a new season- ever...with all the player movement over the summer there are so many legit title contenders- Clippers, Lakers, Warriors, Rockets, Sixers, Bucks, Celtics, Utah, Denver etc...and even on the non-contenders there are so many intriguing storylines- Zion and the Pelicans, Ja Morant in Memphis, Doncic/Porzingis pairing in Dallas, Durant/Kyrie in Brooklyn (will Durant play this season?) etc

I think the Sixers are going to make it out of the East...if Embiid stays healthy and Ben Simmons develops any sort of jump shot they will dominate the East...I'm still not a believer in these Milwaukee Bucks...I think the Celtics are going to be sneaky good...as far as the West: I love the Clippers...Kawhi/PG13 added to an already pretty good Clippers squad...their defense is going to be lights out...I hate the Lakers but AD is going to shine in LA playing alongside Lebron...the Warriors are moving into their gorgeous new arena...don't sleep on them, once Klay returns mid-season they have the same core squad that won the title before KD arrived...my sleeper team in the West is Utah...they improved a lot by getting Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic

but I'm going with a Sixers vs Clippers NBA Finals

hopefully the NBA will show more games in 4K this year

 

[TitusTroy]

regular season starts up on October 22nd with 2 games on TNT: Pelicans at Toronto and Lakers at Clippers (Paul George will not play)

the rest of the national TV schedule for the first few days: October 23rd ESPN: Celtics at Sixers, Denver at Portland

October 24th TNT: Bucks at Rockets, Clippers at Warriors (Warriors open their new stadium, Chase Center)

October 25th ESPN: Dallas at New Orleans, Jazz at Lakers

 

[archiguy]

Bring it on!

 

[TitusTroy]

Zion Williamson as electric as ever in NBA preseason debut

There are questions to how good Zion Williamson will be in the NBA...there should be no doubt to how exciting he’ll remain...the Pelicans’ No. 1 overall pick made his NBA preseason debut look like so many evenings at Cameron Indoor Stadium, with the former Duke superstar throwing down a pair of powerfully thrilling dunks in New Orleans’ 133-109 win in Atlanta Monday night...

https://nypost.com/2019/10/08/zion-williamson-as-electric-as-ever-in-nba-preseason-debut/

 

[cardoski]

Lakers vs Bucks with Lakers winning.

 

[TitusTroy]

Lakers vs Bucks with Lakers winning.

noooo!...not the Lakers...anyone but the Lakers...

 

[cardoski]

noooo!...not the Lakers...anyone but the Lakers...

lol, I'm a Celtics fan so this pick doesn't excite me.lol

 

[TitusTroy]

lol, I'm a Celtics fan so this pick doesn't excite me.lol

I thought you were a Raptors fan based on last years NBA thread?

 

[cardoski]

I thought you were a Raptors fan based on last years NBA thread?

Lived in TO in the late 90s so was easy to cheer for them, grew up a Celtics fan.

 

[gooch02000]

Well hello, boys

 

[bmcn]

Executive of the Year - Daryl Morey

 

[TitusTroy]

Zion Williamson is showing me something in the pre-season...I thought he really needed to develop a jump shot to make it in the pros but so far his athleticism is so off the charts that he's like a baby-Shaq near the basket...like one of the announcers said- he can go over you, through you or around you...the guy is so strong and can contort his body in various ways to get the ball in the basket...

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27825344/zion-williamson-force-new-orleans-pelicans-preseason-home-opener

 

[JMCecil]

Zion Williamson is showing me something in the pre-season...I thought he really needed to develop a jump shot to make it in the pros but so far his athleticism is so off the charts that he's like a baby-Shaq near the basket...like one of the announcers said- he can go over you, through you or around you...the guy is so strong and can contort his body in various ways to get the ball in the basket...

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27825344/zion-williamson-force-new-orleans-pelicans-preseason-home-opener

reminds me of a modern Barkley more than Shaq.

 

[TitusTroy]

reminds me of a modern Barkley more than Shaq.

I just meant he's physically dominating down low...he's no Shaq...my Zion comparison has always been a Shawn Kemp/Blake Griffin combo

 

[TitusTroy]

exactly 1 week away from Opening Night!!

every year NBA TV always has previews for all 32 teams...they literally show it in random order for every team pretty much 24 hours a day...each episode is 30 minutes long...they always do a good job with it...it's been airing for the past few weeks and worth checking out if you have NBA TV

 

[archiguy]

I've watched a bit of the Warriors pre-season. Clearly, the goal is going to be keeping Steph from wearing plumb out. Because until Klay comes back (and let's face it, he may have to miss the whole season), there is not one other dude on that roster who can hit the broad side of a barn. I suppose D-Russ can penetrate and shoot a bit, but he's never had the reputation as a marksman. Good grief - that was their big problem last year and it doesn't look like they did anything to address it. I don't know who any of these new guys are, but I know based on what I've seen so far ain't none of 'em can shoot worth a lick.

Couple that with losing defensive athleticism - that whole shebang is going to fall on Draymond's shoulders now - and it looks like 1) They can't score enough and 2) They won't be able to stop the other guys from scoring, especially in the west with all those newly stacked superstar-laden super-squads.

I still think Steph, Draymond & Kerr will somehow will them into the playoffs, but this is definitely going to be a "rebuilding year" for the Dubs.

 

[TitusTroy]

I still think Steph, Draymond & Kerr will somehow will them into the playoffs, but this is definitely going to be a "rebuilding year" for the Dubs.

I see them as a 5-7 seed out West...I see Klay coming back around February...I think the signing of Willie Cauley-Stein as a free agent was a really good move...don't sleep on the Warriors...Steph is going back to his pre-Durant days and that's scary for the rest of the league

 

[archiguy]

I see them as a 5-7 seed out West...I see Klay coming back around February...I think the signing of Willie Cauley-Stein as a free agent was a really good move...don't sleep on the Warriors...Steph is going back to his pre-Durant days and that's scary for the rest of the league

Damn Troy -- you're more optimistic about the Dubs season than I am! Hope you're right. Ron Adams may be able to work his usual magic and turn them into a solid defensive unit, and Dray is a defensive savant. But in this league, if you can't score, you can't win. And I'm telling you, outside of Steph, this is a gang that can't shoot straight.

 

[TitusTroy]

Damn Troy -- you're more optimistic about the Dubs season than I am! Hope you're right. Ron Adams may be able to work his usual magic and turn them into a solid defensive unit, and Dray is a defensive savant. But in this league, if you can't score, you can't win. And I'm telling you, outside of Steph, this is a gang that can't shoot straight.

if they can make it to the post-season at full health they're going to be a tough out and the team that nobody wants to play...plus if Klay comes back healthy they can always flip D'Angelo Russell and get back a good player

 

[archiguy]

if they can make it to the post-season at full health they're going to be a tough out and the team that nobody wants to play...plus if Klay comes back healthy they can always flip D'Angelo Russell and get back a good player

Yeah, everybody knows D-Russ™ is trade bait for later, maybe to get a stretch-4 who can shoot. Good lord please, let them get somebody who can shoot. So it's necessary for him to have a great season. He shouldn't have any trouble getting all the shots he wants since he & Steph are each going to have to score about 50 ppg for them to win.