Which teams are going to take a step back?

[rickortreat]

It is common for people to pick the teams they think will be the most improved, but here, we're concerned with the teams that will be getting worse this upcomming season.

It could be a bad team getting worse, or a good team that is slipping, in decline and falling out of contention.

I'm not too concerned with the bad teams, I mean once you're bad, the expectations aren't too high anyway.  But there are fans hoping their teams are contenders who may find that the team they put their faith in is going to fail.

On top of my list is Detroit, which won over 60 games last season, and no longer has Ben Wallace.  They should still be a winning team with their depth of talent, but with McDyess, Mohammed and Davis, they're not a contender.

Second pick is San Antonio.  TD is not enough by himself to ensure victory.  Neither Manu nor Parker are really good enough.  Robert Horry looked done last year, I think his days of comming to the rescue are over.  They'll still be a good team, just not good enough to beat the best teams.

New Jersey is getting older.  Krtstic isn't anything special. Carter, Kidd and Jefferson aren't going to get any better, and there's no one else on the team that will make a big difference.

Memphis has injury problems with Gasol, his being out of the lineup should take them down a notch, not that they were contenders anyway!


I see Chicago improving somewhat with the addition of Wallace.  In the West, I think the Suns will be even better than last year, and will give the Mavericks a real challenge- it may come down to which team gets homecourt advantage.

Miami may also be in decline, but I'm not sure if anyone has gotten strong enough to take the title away. I can't believe Gary Payton is still there!
 

[westkoast]

Detroit for sure!  They are going to miss Ben's presence in the middle both on the glass and in the shot blocking department.  I don't think they fully realize how much they are going to miss him until the season gets underway.  Plus the chemistry seems to be down the tubes.  A key player and friend has left and they don't seem to be really in love with Flip, regardless of what PC comments they make.

Miami is an iffy guess and it really depends on Shaq/Walker/Payton/Zo.  The older heads if you will.    I think a number of the players will improve with new found confidence of winning a title and Wade is only going to continue to get better....the problem is if Shaq goes on the decline teamed up with the fact teams are GUNNING for them it could be bad news for them.  They don't have a solid post presence and I don't see Zo able to really play heavy minutes if Shaq gets hurt.


 

[Lurker]

Second pick is San Antonio.  TD is not enough by himself to ensure victory.  Neither Manu nor Parker are really good enough.  Robert Horry looked done last year, I think his days of comming to the rescue are over.  They'll still be a good team, just not good enough to beat the best teams.

 

Sorry, Rick, but if YOU think Philly will win 50 games then the Spurs should be projected to win 70.  Duncan played on plantar flacitis? last year and still put up a double double almost every game.  There are not 3 big men in the league who come close to comparing to Duncan's impact on the floor.  Shaq when he plays, Garnett, Yao are the three that even deserve to be in the same conversation.

As far as Parker and Ginobili...if Iggy & Dalembert are up and coming stars then these two Spurs are superstars.  I wouldn't trade them for anyone on the Sixers roster EXCEPT possibly Iverson.  Once you factor in age I would probably still keep Parker over Iverson.

Mark it right now....barring a injury to one of the Spurs big 3 they will have one of the top 3 records in the NBA.  Mavs & Suns are the only teams I see competing with the Spurs for top record.

As far as the rest...Detroit will drop off of 64 wins but still be above 50.  Miami will struggle to reach the same win total as having that "champ bullseye" on your back makes it tougher night in & night out.  

[Guest_Randy]

It is common for people to pick the teams they think will be the most improved, but here, we're concerned with the teams that will be getting worse this upcomming season.

It could be a bad team getting worse, or a good team that is slipping, in decline and falling out of contention.

I'm not too concerned with the bad teams, I mean once you're bad, the expectations aren't too high anyway.  But there are fans hoping their teams are contenders who may find that the team they put their faith in is going to fail.

On top of my list is Detroit, which won over 60 games last season, and no longer has Ben Wallace.  They should still be a winning team with their depth of talent, but with McDyess, Mohammed and Davis, they're not a contender.

Second pick is San Antonio.  TD is not enough by himself to ensure victory.  Neither Manu nor Parker are really good enough.  Robert Horry looked done last year, I think his days of comming to the rescue are over.  They'll still be a good team, just not good enough to beat the best teams.

New Jersey is getting older.  Krtstic isn't anything special. Carter, Kidd and Jefferson aren't going to get any better, and there's no one else on the team that will make a big difference.

Memphis has injury problems with Gasol, his being out of the lineup should take them down a notch, not that they were contenders anyway!


I see Chicago improving somewhat with the addition of Wallace.  In the West, I think the Suns will be even better than last year, and will give the Mavericks a real challenge- it may come down to which team gets homecourt advantage.

Miami may also be in decline, but I'm not sure if anyone has gotten strong enough to take the title away. I can't believe Gary Payton is still there!

 

Yet ANOTHER Homer thread, Rick, your glasses are tinted in Sixer colors and keep you from seeing what everyone else sees (okay, barring "reality" from the discussion).

Do you know who the NBA GM's chose to win this year's championship?  The SPURS!  TD played hurt last year but the Spurs are STILL a very formidable team -- TD, Parker, Manu, Bowen, Barry, Finley, Horry and then filler.  I wouldn't make the Spurs the favorites to win the league -- I think the Spurs made a HUGE mistake by allowing Nazr to ride off into the sunset but they WILL be there in the playoffs and they will win around 60 games.  I don't even LIKE the Spurs and I'm saying that!

As for the Pistons, they lost a little but they will still be toward the top of the EC.  You suddenly sound like the lost their entire team -- the rest of the team CAN play defense -- namely Nazr, Prince (one of the elite defenders in the league) and Hamilton -- the Sixers only have ONE player that plays defense (Iggy -- and while shotblocking IS a defensive stat -- don't try and make Dalembert into a great defensive player).  The Pistons will still win 50 games -- something the Sixers WON'T do!

Miami will still be toward the top of the EC in the end -- has Wade not shown you anything?  Wade will carry the Heat rather than Shaq -- and has for several years.  Two years ago the Heat won in the playoffs with Wade and no Shaq but lost when it was Shaq and no Wade.  Why do you keep forgetting that?  Shaq has enough to hurt teams, roam the key and rebound the basketball -- and then they bring Zo off the bench.  I'd say this is Miami's last "hurrah" but counting them out this year is a mistake.

New Jersey may be getting old but I find it hilarious that you think that think that "Krtstic isn't anything special" but Dalembert is a "budding star."  Your glasses are fogging up Sixer colors and you are totally blind!  Dalembert hasn't even been assured the STARTING job with the Sixers yet -- and he is fighting Steven Hunter for that position (umm, Steven who?).  NBA.com lists Krstic at #10 in the Center fantasy list and Dalembert as #14.

Oh, here is what they say about the two players:

Krstic Bottom Line: Krstic should continue to improve as his teammates trust him more and more. We'd like to see more rebounds and blocks from the big man and it is reasonable to expect that he will improve in these areas to support his double-digit scoring and fine shooting percentages.

Dalembert:  Bottom Line: Don’t expect a breakout season like many did last year. After all, there is a chance he won't start the season as the Sixers' starter at center. Instead, target Dalembert as a decent second center who will help you excel in blocked shots and fortify your rebounding numbers.

The Nets don't have to have fabulous play out of Krstic -- they already have fabulous play out of Kidd, Carter and Jefferson who have all shown that they CAN play together.  While they aren't going to win it all -- they still will win around 50 games -- and that's more than the Sixers will.

Memphis -- I'm not sure that I would disagree on Memphis but it has as much to do with the overall quality of the West than it does on Memphis not being as good as last year.  
 

[westkoast]

Based on what I heard on TNT I think the Suns could fall a bit.  I was going to make this comment yesterday but it would have been more of a blind assumption then anything.  According to David Alderidge (sp?) at half time during the Lakers/Nuggets game he said that The Suns feel that Amare is not pushing himself hard enough to get into playing shape by the Tuesday's opener agaisnt the Lakers.  Whereas Amare says he cannot push himself any harder then he is because his knees are starting to flare up again.  Not just one but both.  That really does not bode well for the Suns.  He has requested days off to rest and swim (because he says he feels much better when he swims) but his request has been denied.

I don't know who is right in this situation but I am going to side with Amare.  There is no need to push him so hard right now.  The team can play without him and if his knees are hurting...don't rush it.  Or at least don't burn him out at the start of the season because they are going to make the playoffs this year.