2015-16 NBA Thread (feat. the Wives)

This pretty much. A team whose second-best player either shot under 39 percent on the year (Matthews) or is an injured 31-year-old Deron Williams got it's ass kicked when starting something called Salah Mejri at center? Perish the thought.

 

Dallas and Memphis definitely win the "how the hell did they make it with THAT roster?" distinctions this year.

 

I'd throw Portland in this mix as well. When Portland lost Aldridge, Matthews and Batum, conventional wisdom said they'd now go into "tank" mode and finish with some hideous record in quest of a top lottery pick. But instead that Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum (the league's most improved player) backcourt stepped up in a HUGE way. Portland trotted out some horror show ugly frontcourts this year, but those two stud guards kept them winning anyways.

Almost like it's fate that the West must remain better than the East. With all the losses and injuries sustained by Dallas/Portland/Memphis you'd think that might finally result in a balancing of power between the conferences. Nope, those three somehow kept finding ways to win. Meanwhile, you look at East rosters like the Wizards and Bulls--which on paper look so damn good--yet kept finding ways to lose.

 

Memphis just sustained too many injuries over the course of the season to remain remotely competitive. Take players the level of Gasol and Conley off any team and they're gonna suck.

This first round is going to be terrible. There are only two chances for competitive series: Boston-Atlanta and Toronto-Indiana. We already know the outcomes of every other series. Detroit played over its head yesterday and still lost. Charlotte may never win a playoff game. Wake me up for the conference semifinals. There's absolutely nothing to watch in this first batch of series.

 

Speaking of rosters, it boggles my mind that Steve Blake is still on one, and playing meaningful minutes, in 2016.

 

Not a professor of the NBA, but that 2003 draft class has 15 active players and 27 of the 58 players drafted who played 10 years or more.

 

I'm always fascinated by guys who can't really do anything exceptionally well, yet before you know it, they've been in the NBA for 13 years and played for eight different teams.

He's the Josh McCown of the NBA.

 

Blake was trade 6 times in his career. 3 separate times he was signed as a free agent by Portland and 3 separate times Portland traded him, in 2006, 2010 and 2015.

 

Curry out tonight for Dubs.

 

Rick Carlisle seems to be pretty good at his job.

 

Well, that was a hell of an ending.

 

Good thing the Mavs didn't just disband after Game 1, I guess.