First NBA Power poll of the season

[Ted]

^^^ you may have been busy with WoW at an examination.

2 3 4 tie     Houston Rockets         Might be higher if not for Alston's off-field trouble, Artest's volatility and Yao's injury woes.  The legal injustice system is not going to slow up Alston, that's what overpaid lawyers are for.  Shut your pieholes over Artest, contract year and he's worked under Adleman before.  I predict solid year from 'Testy.  Even if not entire year, he only needs to crank it up in the playoffs.  Yao has injury risk but so does Bynum, GNob and a bunch of others.

Reality. You really should wait until a team is able to get out of the first round of the playoffs before you jump bandwagons. Artest may put up some numbers, but he, like McGrady, has always been a disappointment as a leader and winner.

[Reality]

Naw.  When I use my free will to change team affiliations, like Joe, Skandery and others have done at least as many and morelike many more times then i have, my policy is the "switch" must be made prior to the seasons start.  As when I began on the board, (Ted my apologies, do you go all the way back to MSNBC or did you get on Dabods I board circa 2003?)

I made the affiliation prior to.  It was right after the Kings won the 2002 Title.  Laker boardists were in full worship mode after their *3* peat.  The Laker House had visions of *4* in a row, "greatest of all time" babble and just general euphoria.  They scoffed at any idea of a Spurs win in 2003, and with some good reason given the cheapshot by Juwan Coward taking Derek Anderson out of the 2002 playoffs vs the Lakers and essentially ending the Spurs.  Anywho, the Laker House gave no chance of the Spurs overtaking them in the 2003 season or playoffs.  I on the other hand, clearly posted i was onboard with Tim Duncar and company (in spite of Poppycock) prior to the 2002-3 season.

As to this years Rockets, I still have the belief the 2009 Spurs can overcome Poppycock and get another title.  With Manu possibly done due to injury*, that could be a fatal blow especially given the front offices lameness the past 5 years.  How 'bout that Scola today vs US?

You were embellishing when you said you saw a bone today on Manus injury, weren't you? 

[westkoast]

The difference is over the past 5-6-7 years we've all been posting together Joe and Skandery have been Jazz fans.  Saying you enjoy watching other teams and full on jumping on the bandwagon are two different things.

We already know you were a Celtics fan....then you became a Kings fan....then a Spurs fan.....now a Houston Rockets fan.....

[Ted]

If by "embellishing" you mean "being preposterous" then yes, I was embellishing.

FYI, I go back to late 2000 on MSNBC. At the time, I was Chicago-transplant Bulls fan living in Utah. In Stockton's last two years, I finally became a Jazz fan, partly because of AK47, partly because I appreciated what Stockton could still do at the age of 41.

I remember Chief, SteddyEddy, BBallPro, Heat Fan, BIGSMJS, among others; and my all-time nemesis, jumpman, who was physically unable to spell the word "to" with the letters of the Anglo/Latin alphabet. Oh yeah, and he was stupid.

[Reality]

Memory Lane.
WoW, Dennis and me had dinner with Steady Eddie.  
During a Lakers-Nets finals game. 

[Ted]

Dennis was a little kooky too if I remember right.

[Reality]

No he was logical and called out Shraq during his camp n shove years.
Hence labeled "kook" by the a few of the haters at the Laker House.

[JoMal]

No he was logical and called out Shraq during his camp n shove years.
Hence labeled "kook" by the a few of the haters at the Laker House.

If saying something as mild as that gets Dennis labelled a "kook", I can not even imagine what they must have been calling me.

[WayOutWest]

If saying something as mild as that gets Dennis labelled a "kook", I can not even imagine what they must have been calling me.

Most of us just call you old.   

[JoMal]

If saying something as mild as that gets Dennis labelled a "kook", I can not even imagine what they must have been calling me.

Most of us just call you old.   

Speaking of getting old.......

[Ted]

Speaking of getting old.......

JoMal, I hear you.

[westkoast]

Speaking of getting old.......

JoMal, I hear you.

Are you guys testing hearing aids?

[JoMal]

Speaking of getting old.......

JoMal, I hear you.

Are you guys testing hearing aids?

Yes. If you can't hear us, you have a problem, wk.

[ziggy]

I know this sounds like homer whining, but this is the biggest pile of doo doo I've seen in a while. The Utah Jazz are way too low on that list. And the explanation is the weakest one on there. "How much more can Deron Williams improve?" That explains how they are suddenly four or five spots too low?

The Jazz were the second-best western conference playoff team last year. They owned the Celtics by more than 20 in Boston, and are better than Rockets, Hornets, and Mavericks. Which Carlos Boozer shows up for this year's playoffs. Last year's, or 2007's Carlos Boozer. The Lakers series would have been much more interesting . . .

As for Houston, whom the Jazz PWN, one of these days, I'll take the time to articulate my "Artest Doesn't Improve Houston that Much" position. But there it is. A homer's response.

I have to agree with Ted here.  Jazz made WCF 2 years ago, and were the #2/3 team in the west last year.  They should be #5 instead of Portland who should slide perhaps to 8-12 range.  Portland has improved by 20 wins in 2 seasons, but it is a lot harder to improve by 10 wins when you start with 41 wins instead of 21 wins.  The NBA is a veterans game, and Portland was the youngest team in the league last year (3rd youngest in league history), and they got younger.  They replaced Jack, McRoberts, James Jones, and Darius Miles, with Bayless (19), Batum (19), Fernandez (23), and an unknown, plus Oden is only 20, and will be playing significant minutes.

[Ted]

Now if we were creating a list of scariest teams of 2010, I've got Portland #1. I just ain't fair.