Those are the teams you are comparing and you are saying that the Bulls are every bit as good as the Cavs last two teams? Those two teams could go 9 deep in good to decent NBA players. The Bulls can go maybe 5-6 deep, 7 tops. And the quality in that top 7 isn't nearly as good as the quality in the top 7 of the Cavs two teams. And after your 7th player, the drop in talent is off the charts.
Sorry IP, your team does not in fact deserve the top seed in the playoffs. I liken your team more to the 2007-08 Cavs only with a slightly better version of Lebron. 45-48 wins, possible first round ouster, no making it past the second round.
Good to decent NBA players (in their current roles on my team) on the Fake Bulls:
Noah, Miller, Jennings, Ilyasova, Tony Allen, Louis Amundson, Eric Maynor, LeBron James
If you look at my rotation, the only guys I'm asking more of than they've shown in the last 2 years is Ilyasova. Every guy in my rotation has proved he can perform the tasks I'm asking of him, and on top of that Jennings and Ilyasova should both improve next season. Ilyasova should improve because he'll have a more defined role (starter), with better teammates (James), Jennings should improve because he'll no longer be asked to be a primary scorer, and will have the shooters around to allow him to penetrate, and he'll be playing with the best player in basketball.
Guys that have serious questions marks about their ability to make minutes:
Von Wafer, Omer Asik, Gani Lawal, Landry Fields, Michael Redd
I'm not even going to discuss Redd yet, so lets throw him out. Von Wafer is a rotation player for sure, in 2008-2009. In 2009-2010, the guy just laid an egg, for lack of a better term. He's still young though, at 25 years old and around that age is typically when players come to grip with their own limitations, and embrace a role. Wafer has his tail between his legs after the debacle in Greece and failing a physical with the Rockets, he knows this is his last shot. If he messes up here he'll likely be in Europe for the duration, if they'll even take him.
Here is what Tom from The Dream Shake (Rockets SB Nation blog) had to say about Wafer:
As for Von's game, I haven't seen him play in quite some time, so he may have improved on a few areas of his game since his stint in Houston. I think that people invested too much into Wafer's talent simply because he came out of NOWHERE and ran off a streak of miracle performances (you'll surely remember one of them) in the absence of Tracy McGrady. Oh, he's very good at certain things: dunking, outside shooting and pumping up the crowd (he was our Nate during his glory run his first few weeks on the job, crowd loved him). But he can't do anything more than fill the role of Instant Offense Off The Bench.
Wafer played a much more pivotal role in Houston's offense than he will in Boston's. He's a slasher who can drive if there's space, but he's not too keen with his dribble to be able to cross anyone over and create for himself. As his role increased in Houston, he began taking long two-point jumpers to counteract defenders jumping the pick and roll and banking on him shooting threes, something I don't think he will need to do with the Celtics. He's an above average three-point shooter, so while he is streaky, it's not one of those Rafer Alston one-game-per-week shooting streaks. His shot is his primary calling card.
The backup plan if Von Wafer doesn't show up? Landry Fields. He's a rookie, but he can handle the ball, he attacks the rim, and he's got a silky smooth jumpshot. I'm expecting big things from him this season, but in all honesty, he's a rookie.
Gani Lawal and Omer Asik are both going to be in a position to earn as many minutes as they deserve. I have Asik tentatively penciled in for 7isn minutes per night, which is less than the 11 mins per that Shelden Williams got when he played. 7 minutes is not a lot, and I'm aware that Asik is going to look completely clueless some nights, and some nights he's going to look great. That's what you get with rookies. However, he's been playing basketball for a long time, he's 24 years old, and I'm hoping that he can give my some okay minutes when needed.
Lawal is another guy that is going to have some nights where he looks like a player in this league and some nights he doesn't. That's just the nature of rookies. Lawal though looks like a guy who has effort and hustle and rebounding going for him from the jump, so I think that his minutes should increase as the year goes on, much like BBD's minutes increased as his rookie season wore on.
So what's all that for?
I stand very staunchly that my starting 5 this season is superior to any of Cleveland's starting 5's in the past 4 years. If you want to debate that, that's fine, but I think my numbers will support me here.
My rotational players, Amundson, Maynor, Tony Allen, Von Wafer, aren't ideal. Amundson is the tallest at 6'9, and Tony Allen is the oldest, at 28. I'm going to need to lean heavily on my starters, and that's just the facts.
I think my rookies, Gani Lawal, Landry Fields, and Omer Asik, are all ready to give me spurts of production in different ways. Fields could end up being the "second round gem" this year, ala Marcus Thornton. Gani Lawal already has an NBA body and has shown a willingness to bang in the post, and Omer Asik is already accustomed to Euroleague play, and currently playing (and starting 2/3 games) for Turkey, Asik is averaging 10 pts, 8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game over about 20 mins.
My rotation is thin, and it is tenuous, but I would contend that it is serviceable, and its not going to hold me back from getting the first seed.
Topic: 2010 CB Draft: Central Division Press Conferences (Read 84962 times)