You are right. Let say one of the key player got injured for a long time, the team will be in trouble. But dominating a division is not everything. It is good to get 1st seed and home court advantage but it is a playoff system. Sometimes the 8th seed team is better than the 7th or 6th. Last season Dallas Maverick lost to 8th seed Warriors

southwest is the toughest division, there is texas big three.

The next tough division will be the east's central division where, Cavs, Pistons, bulls, pacers, bucks is in there

Celtics' Paul Pierce hopes trip to Europe will help team jell with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen

Position rankings: Power forwards

Rankings note: Players are ranked in the order of their projected impact on the coming season. Upside is taken into account, but only for the next 12 months. Whether you're a bargain or a bad contract doesn't matter.

1. Tim Duncan, San Antonio

2. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas

3. Kevin Garnett, Boston

4. Chris Bosh, Toronto

5. Carlos Boozer, Utah

6. Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana

7. Shawn Marion, Phoenix

8. Pau Gasol, Memphis

9. Antawn Jamison, Washington

10. Lamar Odom, L.A. Lakers

11. Gerald Wallace, Charlotte

12. Zach Randolph, New York

13. Al Jefferson, Minnesota

14. David West, New Orleans

15. Elton Brand, L.A. Clippers

16. Nene, Denver

17. LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland

18. Al Harrington, Golden State

19. Udonis Haslem, Miami

20. Boris Diaw, Phoenix

Others considered: Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee; Drew Gooden, Cleveland; Anderson Varejao, Cleveland; Al Horford, Atlanta; Nick Collison, Seattle; Chris Wilcox, Seattle; Luis Scola, Houston; Antonio McDyess, Detroit; David Lee, New York; Marvin Williams, Atlanta; Kenyon Martin, Denver; Channing Frye, Portland; Tyrus Thomas, Chicago; Joakim Noah, Chicago; Kurt Thomas, Seattle; Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Sacramento; Tim Thomas, L.A. Clippers; Hakim Warrick, Memphis; Juwan Howard, Houston; P.J. Brown, Unaffiliated; Jason Maxiell, Detroit; Tim Thomas, L.A. Clippers; Brian Cook, L.A. Lakers; Kenny Thomas, Sacramento; Mikki Moore, Sacramento; Darius Songaila, Washington; Juwan Howard, Minnesota; Paul Millsap, Utah; Yi Jianlian, Milwaukee; Brandan Wright, Golden State; Shelden Williams, Atlanta; Joe Smith, Chicago; Chris Webber, unaffiliated; Reggie Evans, Philadelphia; Stromile Swift, Memphis

Look, dominating a division means something. But because of the playoff format, you are bound to be headshot if you are in a easy division up against a tough division.

That's something NBA has to revise slightly. The eastern conference Atlantic division has one of the crappiest team that qualified for the playoffs. They top the division, but because of this, they have home court advantage, and that means everything.

Sometimes lower seeded teams are better, but in the case of dallas vs warriors, thats like hoping a hailstorm occurs in Malaysia. Happens once in a blue moon

Somehow the Mavericks just cannot beat the Don Nelson Warriors. Maybe he know too much about the Mavericks system and players since he was the head coach there. Too bad the Mavs played against Warriors in the 1st round, they might have a better chance against other team.

It's not about understanding the system. A closer analysis done by TNT commentator showed how Baron Davis single handedly carried the team on his shoulders. Might just say that Avery is new to playoffs yadda yadda, but Nowiztzki never got into his groove, and Terry couldn't bring his game to Davis's level. It was really unlucky of them. If this was a matchup again, i'd place my bets in a dallas win.

Suns' Shawn Marion says he wants to be traded

from what i know is, Don Nelson knows the weak links of Notwitzki. Because Dirk is the core, so the warriors do double teaming, defense disturbance to kacau him, make him no use. [something like pistons vs lakers, wow the gary payton look like he is "off the court", no contribution]

so dirk is annoyed, the whole team spirit is down too. Plus, the 4-5 position (PG and SG) of Mavs is short and fragile, that's why baron and co. who is super fast and hyper brave, gets into the paint easily. well during last final, Dwyane Wade single handedly destroy the defense right? Their guard is not powerful enough.

another thing, how is feel when u game in a "bee hive" with a shouting more than 100dB? Concentration definitely will lose there. And during the regular season, Warriors already beat Mavs several times, their confidence is high rise man.

but warriors do have weak part, where they showed it in game vs Jazz. Yes, it's rebound and defense. They dun have a strong Center, thats y Boozer is dominating in that series.

You probably have your point there. But like i say, other players failed to live up to their expectation during the playoffs game. Nowitzki might be double team, but don't we see that happening all so often during the regular season.

Warriors just barely made it to the playoffs, and the Mavs dominated the pre-season. Be it Mavs couldn't penetrate Warriors at all during pre-playoffs, or whether Nowitzki was being a man that had the hype, i just say that this don't happen all too often.

8th > 1st

Marion And Kobe Talk Trade

Shawn Marion wants out of Phoenix and is interested in becoming a member of the Lakers.

"I'm definitely interested in the Lakers," said Marion.

He also said he talked to Kobe Bryant, and Bryant "embraced it."

Said Marion: "He wants to make it happen."

If Bryant cares about what trades the Lakers make and thinks adding Marion would help, at least it's an indication that he's thinking about the Lakers as "we" not "them."
Link


Celtics Sign Jones And Batista

he Celtics have signed former Memphis Grizzlies guard-forward Dahntay Jones and Atlanta Hawks forward-center Estaban Batista to non-guarenteed contracts. Both will join the team in Europe for training camp, bringing the roster to 17.

Jones, who has played his entire career with the Grizzlies, played in a career-high 78 games last season. He averaged 7.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.

Batista, 6-foot-10, 270-pound Uruguay native, played sparingly for Atlanta last season, but averaged a tournament-best 12.4 rebounds and 20.8 points during the recent FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas. [

well, and considering gsw won 16 of their last 23 games going into the playoffs that time, and averaging about 110 points per game just before the playoffs, they were the team on momentum.plus, with baron davis healthy during that series, proved that key players are needed to win games.
just like taking arenas away frm the team, they got swept away so easily by the cavs in the 1st round

wow.....odom-marion trade
good to lakers

Marion's gonna regret his move to Lakers. No one should join Lakers. The superstars that is.

That's your opinion, you are entitled to it and I don't agree. Kobe-Marion

ego clashes with kobe at lakers...
but he would fits nicely into lakers though...

i would love 2 c how Kobe - Marion would look like in game..

Kobe & Team Starts Camp

Los Angeles Times - Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is expected to fly with the team to Hawaii Monday for the start of the team's preseason training camp. After demanding that the Lakers trade him in May and pointedly refusing to take it back in July and August, Bryant is back in touch and planning to be there. "I have no reason to think he won't report," General Manager Mitch Kupchak said Tuesday.


Boozer to take a personal leave

Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer could miss the start of training camp next week while his son recovers from a bone-marrow transplant in Miami. Camp starts Tuesday and runs through Oct. 6 in Boise, Idaho. "As soon as my son is home from the hospital and stable, I will join my teammates," Boozer said in a statement released by the team Thursday.

This post has been edited by EroS: Sep 28 2007, 02:59 PM

Wizards' Gilbert Arenas is back and just as talkative as ever

^
Johnathan will be so happy

T-Wolves And Mavs Swap Guards

The Timberwolves traded guard Trenton Hassell to the Mavericks for guard Greg Buckner on Friday night.

Hassell, who spent the last four seasons with the Wolves, averaged 6.7 points per game and three rebounds in 476 games. In 2006-07, he played in 76 games and averaged 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds.

Buckner is an eight-year NBA veteran with career averages of 5.5 points and 2.9 rebounds, including two stints with Dallas along with stops in Philadelphia and Denver. Last season, Buckner averaged four points while grabbing 2.1 rebounds.


Webber Pondering Greek Team's Multi-Million Offer

Chris Webber has a multi-million dollar contract offer on the table from Olympiacos of Greece, ESPN's Chris Sheridan is reporting, and he plans to decide by this weekend whether to accept it or wait on the sidelines for another chance at playing in the NBA.

Two sources familiar with the offer told ESPN.com that Olympiacos was offering a two-year deal that would net Webber between $10 million and $12 million, which would make him the highest-paid American player in Europe.


Kobe Silent On Plans To Be At Camp

lthough Kobe Bryant is expected to attend the Lakers' media day on Monday, his spokesperson Catherine Sebring declined comment when asked about his plans, lending a bit of intrigue.

"Without mentioning specific names, appropriate people in our organization have been in contact with Kobe, and we have no reason to believe he won't be in Hawaii for training camp," team spokesman John Black said.

A posting Friday on Bryant's Web site indicated the 29-year-old will be at camp.

"The countdown to tipoff is on," it began. "Summer is gone, fall is upon us and that can mean only one thing: NBA training camps are just around the corner. While some teams are holding their media days today, the Lakers will invite the media to their practice facility on Monday and will depart shortly after for training camp in Hawaii.

"kb24.com will be at media day to bring you the sights and sounds as the team prepares to kick off the 2007-2008 season."


Jordan, Haywood Try Again

n Washington, the relationship between Brendan Haywood and Eddie Jordan appeared to be shattered beyond repair following the Wizards' season-ending loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season.

After failing to get off the bench, Haywood stalked to the locker room, ripped off the nameplate above his locker and left Verizon Center without comment.

Later, according to multiple league sources, Haywood considered demanding a trade. However, such a deal never materialized as team president Ernie Grunfeld concentrated on re-signing free agents DeShawn Stevenson and Andray Blatche rather than making a drastic change to his team's roster.

Gilbert Arenas, who is one of Haywood's best friends on the team, said Haywood recently joined teammates in Washington for informal workouts following a clear-the-air meeting with Jordan and new assistant coach Randy Ayers. The meeting took place near Haywood's offseason home in North Carolina earlier this month.

"Eddie went down there to talk to Brendan because at first, Brendan was like, 'I'm not coming to' " Washington for pre-camp workouts, Arenas said. "But they talked and Brendan's been here for the last two weeks. Whatever they talked about, it brought Brendan back."

This post has been edited by EroS: Sep 29 2007, 08:57 PM