Who is the best 04/05 NBA team?

[Mantony2002]

i say the Spurs or Detroit Pistons.

[twins15]

Pistons.

[Magus Relmyn]

The Mavericks. Anything short of the NBA finals will be a disappointment with all the talent they have: Dampier, Nowitski, Finley, Stackhouse, and Terry.

[twins15]

The Mavericks. Anything short of the NBA finals will be a disappointment with all the talent they have: Dampier, Nowitski, Finley, Stackhouse, and Terry.

I'll take Nash, Finley, Walker, Jamison, and Nowitski over those 5.

EDIT: Devin Harris is a stud, though.

[Magus Relmyn]

I'll take Nash, Finley, Walker, Jamison, and Nowitski over those 5.

EDIT: Devin Harris is a stud, though.

Harris is a stud, but he's a little bit away from starting full-time.

[twins15]

Harris is a stud, but he's a little bit away from starting full-time.

Yeah you're probably right there.

[dlp1313]

Phoenix Suns for sure

Steve Nash, Quentin Richardson, Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, Jake Voskuhl/Steven Hunter

[Magus Relmyn]

Phoenix Suns for sure

Steve Nash, Quentin Richardson, Shawn Marion, Amare Stoudemire, Jake Voskuhl/Steven Hunter

See, the Mavs have a star Center, which the Suns do not, and the more complete team.

[bravest]

your point is? i was asking who was the best team in the NBA this year
No need to shout.

I'd take the Mavs over the Suns anyday, but Phoenix sure did help their team this offseason. And Magus, do the Suns really need a star center to win with the other four players they have? I think Hunter will do just fine...

dlp- Where is that Jacobsen guy?

[Mantony2002]

one thing these 2 teams dont have is good coaching. Nellie is a HORRIBLE coach. his fat ass needs to retire while he has a winning record (that is if he still has a career winning record). Nellie doesnt stress defense. his team like rick aldemens team is so used to winning with offense that when the game is on the line,their defense is horrible. Phoenix has a coach that i have never heard of so they wont go anywhere. for the last 9 years 3 teams with EXCELLENT coaches have won the championship. ( Phil Jackson with 6 of them, Gregg Popovich with 2,and Larry Brown with 1). This is the reason denver wont go anywhere,they dont have a good coach.
I always go by this quote, "Offense sells tickets,Defense wins games".
That is what Larry,Phil and Gregg go by,that is # 1 on their priority scale when it comes to coaching their team.

[twins15]

I always go by this quote, "Offense sells tickets,Defense wins games".
That is what Larry,Phil and Gregg go by,that is # 1 on their priority scale when it comes to coaching their team.

Yes it does!

Signed,

The Cavs coached by Mike Fratello

[dlp1313]

No need to shout.

I'd take the Mavs over the Suns anyday, but Phoenix sure did help their team this offseason. And Magus, do the Suns really need a star center to win with the other four players they have? I think Hunter will do just fine...

dlp- Where is that Jacobsen guy?

Jacobsen is ok, dont forget about JJ either :)

[X-Factor]

Celtics, with the Glove and Pierce, ooo its gonna be hot

[Mantony2002]

Celtics, with the Glove and Pierce, ooo its gonna be hot.
oh yeah it will be hot all right, but hot in the wrong context. gary payton = Trouble. it wont be long that GP will be complaing about Doc River's offense or something that will take away the attention that GP is getting old and is becoming a "HAS BEEN". Boston will be lucky to make it as a 8th seed. Wait what am i saying, the Eastern Conference is the Equivalent to the Triple A is to Major league. Everyone who is smart is going to the Western Conference. They should have made the Detroit Pistons a Western Conference team because besides them no one in the Eastern Conference can compete in the NBA Finals.

[twins15]

Everyone who is smart is going to the Western Conference. They should have made the Detroit Pistons a Western Conference team because besides them no one in the Eastern Conference can compete in the NBA Finals.

Wouldn't it be smarter for a player to go to the East? They will be able to dominate easier if they are in the East than if they are in the West. The West is better than the East, no doubt about that, but it's no AAA. Detroit, from the East, took the best the West had to offer last year and really dominated them.

[Mantony2002]

Wouldn't it be smarter for a player to go to the East? They will be able to dominate easier if they are in the East than if they are in the West. The West is better than the East, no doubt about that, but it's no AAA. Detroit, from the East, took the best the West had to offer last year and really dominated them.

thats a good point but remember that if someone like peja stojakovic were to go to an eastern conference, that team wouldnt be good for like another year or 2 because he would be expensive and the team would have to wait till next year to afford another high salary player.

[slinky]

The problem with the Suns will be its defense. Nash was never a defense of player, let alone stopper. Richardson has below average lateral quickness for a shooting guard, and doesn't have the height to make up for it. Amare will be a beast though. They also need a center, Hunter is a backup at best, and Voskul gets in foul trouble easily.

The Spurs have arguably the best team. They were .4 seconds away from possibly winning the championships, and added the shooter they lacked. Parker is getting more mature, and Ginobli hit his prime. They should be scary.

They Raptors had some nice starts, Carter is playing well, and Bosh and Hoffa might end up something great.

[Penning10]

See, the Mavs have a star Center, which the Suns do not, and the more complete team.
Dampier a star center? *lol*

[hehateme71]

I say that the suns look like they are theb est at the moment, there team looks awesome this year

[slinky]

Dampier is not a star center, but he is a top 5 center. Above average offensive player for a center, and good defense and rebounding bigman.

The Suns played 3 of the more weaker team. Alanta and New Jersey are weak right now, and the Sixers still have problems and having Dalembert out doesn't help. They improved, but to call them the best after 3 games is ludacrous. When they play real teams with centers, they would get killed.

[wolves025]

No love for the Wolves? I think the only way they can't win is if the players don't play cause of there contracts and Spree seems to be playing now and Cassell always starts off slow. I mean at small forward/shooting guard they have either Wally (offense) or Hassell (defesnse) or play both one at SF and one at SG then Spree Cassell and KG then Hudson who could start on most teams to back up Cassell. The only thing we really need is a center and Kandiman can fill it he ain't the best but he can play.

[slinky]

No love for the Wolves? I think the only way they can't win is if the players don't play cause of there contracts and Spree seems to be playing now and Cassell always starts off slow. I mean at small forward/shooting guard they have either Wally (offense) or Hassell (defesnse) or play both one at SF and one at SG then Spree Cassell and KG then Hudson who could start on most teams to back up Cassell. The only thing we really need is a center and Kandiman can fill it he ain't the best but he can play.
Then again, they didn't really add to improve their team. They didn't win the championship last year. Kandi probably won't ever be a strong center, to inconsistent and is injury prone.

[wolves025]

Then again, they didn't really add to improve their team. They didn't win the championship last year. Kandi probably won't ever be a strong center, to inconsistent and is injury prone.

But they didn't have Hudson or Cassell in the Western Finals vs the Lakers so they had to use a 3rd string PG and have KG Spree and others play point so if they stay heathly they will have a better team. The only thing we really lost was Oliver Miller at center but thats not huge and we have Ervin Johnson still who brings veteranship and leadership to the team and he isn't a scorer but can play defense.

Kandi is decent not great by any means but he has height which the Wolves need they now have KG, Kandi, Johnson, then Griffin who is 6-10 (and I don't know a lot about him) for big men.

[slinky]

Griffin has loads of potential, a former 7th pick and is only 22. Athletic, and a good scorer, downside is weak defensively and really has issues. Shot his girlfriends, took drugs, got in fights with teammates, KG will dig this guy. Kandi doesn't have height, but that won't help if he is out for half the season as usual, or asleep. He is the type of guy who has the tools, but has horrible hands and a worse work ethic.

Cassel got older, Spree is becoming a cancer, and KG is helping the team out by fueding with Wally.

[twins15]

Then again, they didn't really add to improve their team. They didn't win the championship last year. Kandi probably won't ever be a strong center, to inconsistent and is injury prone.

They improved their team by getting healthy. With a healthy Troy Hudson they would have beat the Lakers last year, IMO.

[slinky]

True they got healthy, building championship hopes off what ifs aren't good. Besides, if the Lakers had played with any emotion or passion in game 5, it could have been 4-1, and Hudson wouldn't have done much help.

This year, Spree is asking for a extension and is ruining team chemistry, not to mention the Wally-KG fued. Age is also a factor, Cassel got another year older, and Spree may have lost a step.

[wolves025]

In 2003 Hudson killed the Lakers with 23 Points Per Game and 5.5 Assists Per Game in 221 minutes in the playoffs but they still couldn't get it done so I think Hudson would of helped.

[slinky]

He would have changed it, but wouldn't have totally won it for them. One thing for sure is that he wouldn't have gotten the minutes he needed to seriously score. The Wolves needed Hassel and Sprewell to guard Kobe, and Cassel to start. Also, Payton did a good job defending Parker in games 3 through 6, not allowing him to roam free.

[twins15]

In 2003 Hudson killed the Lakers with 23 Points Per Game and 5.5 Assists Per Game in 221 minutes in the playoffs but they still couldn't get it done so I think Hudson would of helped.

And in 2003 they didn't have Sam Cassell or Latrell Sprewell.

[cheapcards01]

Heat if everyone stays healthy