2011/2012 NBA Regular Season

[PosImpos]

My power rankings for the West

(1) Oklahoma
(2) Dallas
(3) Portland
(4) Denver
(5) Memphis
(6) LA Clippers
(7) LA Lakers
[8] San Antonio
(9) Houston

Portland at #3?  Denver at #4?

Are you sure you've looked at the standings recently?

I don't care about standings. Only where teams in terms of winning a title.

I think Denver's and Portland's superior depth is worth more than the Lakers top heavy roster (worst team in league 4-10?). The Clippers without Chauncey Billups and without any capable replacement SG plus with dodgy backup wings don't look as strong to me as those two squads either. Why I have Denver and Portland above the two LA teams.

Memphis I am concerned about (1) the loss of Darell Arthur to injury (2) loss of Shane Battier to free agency (3) Zach Randolph's level of performance post-injury. Otherwise, they'd be my second or third ranked team. Need to wait and see how they fare once Z-Bo returns before I consider moving them ahead of Denver and/or Portland.

Meh, I don't think depth matters very much at all in the post-season.  Portland and Denver have been pretty mediocre recently in the regular season, too.

If you want to talk about having both depth and superior veteran talent at the top of the roster, look no further than the Spurs.  I think you've got them criminally underrated.  They're at least 4th or 5th.

[Who]

My power rankings for the West

(1) Oklahoma
(2) Dallas
(3) Portland
(4) Denver
(5) Memphis
(6) LA Clippers
(7) LA Lakers
[8] San Antonio
(9) Houston

Portland at #3?  Denver at #4?

Are you sure you've looked at the standings recently?

I don't care about standings. Only where teams in terms of winning a title.

I think Denver's and Portland's superior depth is worth more than the Lakers top heavy roster (worst team in league 4-10?). The Clippers without Chauncey Billups and without any capable replacement SG plus with dodgy backup wings don't look as strong to me as those two squads either. Why I have Denver and Portland above the two LA teams.

Memphis I am concerned about (1) the loss of Darell Arthur to injury (2) loss of Shane Battier to free agency (3) Zach Randolph's level of performance post-injury. Otherwise, they'd be my second or third ranked team. Need to wait and see how they fare once Z-Bo returns before I consider moving them ahead of Denver and/or Portland.

Meh, I don't think depth matters very much at all in the post-season.  Portland and Denver have been pretty mediocre recently in the regular season, too.

If you want to talk about having both depth and superior veteran talent at the top of the roster, look no further than the Spurs.  I think you've got them criminally underrated.  They're at least 4th or 5th.

Take the Lakers for example (a nice extreme example)

Say you give Kobe and Pau 38mpg and Bynum 35mpg in the playoffs. So out of a total of 240 available minutes per game, the Lakers Big Three receives somewhere around 111 of those minutes.

For the other 129 minutes, the Lakers are putting out some combination of -- Derek Fisher, Steve Blake, Ron Artest, Matt Barnes, Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy, Jason Kapono, Andrew Goudelock

As good as Kobe, Pau and Bynum are as a trio -- and I think they are excellent, easily one of the best trios in the league -- that is a lot of opportunity for the opposing team to create an advantage over their Lakers counterpart (supporting cast).

When your depth is as shaky as the Lakers and Clippers is, I think depth will end up counting quite a lot.

[Eja117]

Popovich is sitting Tony Parker and Tim Duncan tonight. They're totally healthy, but instead of running them into the ground he's actually voluntarily giving the young guys run, instead of hurting his only guys that give him a chance to win in the playoffs, and he's doing it all voluntarily, willingly, purposely. And he's doing it in front of the world.

And that is the difference between a good coach and a bad one.

[PosImpos]

Popovich is sitting Tony Parker and Tim Duncan tonight. They're totally healthy, but instead of running them into the ground he's actually voluntarily giving the young guys run, instead of hurting his only guys that give him a chance to win in the playoffs, and he's doing it all voluntarily, willingly, purposely. And he's doing it in front of the world.

And that is the difference between a good coach and a bad one.

It's a luxury you have when your team has a real good record and you trust your young players enough to actually play them.

[bfrombleacher]

Popovich is sitting Tony Parker and Tim Duncan tonight. They're totally healthy, but instead of running them into the ground he's actually voluntarily giving the young guys run, instead of hurting his only guys that give him a chance to win in the playoffs, and he's doing it all voluntarily, willingly, purposely. And he's doing it in front of the world.

And that is the difference between a good coach and a bad one.

It's a luxury you have when your team has a real good record and you trust your young players enough to actually play them.

UGH [dang] it Doc. Am I right?

[CelticG1]

Popovich is sitting Tony Parker and Tim Duncan tonight. They're totally healthy, but instead of running them into the ground he's actually voluntarily giving the young guys run, instead of hurting his only guys that give him a chance to win in the playoffs, and he's doing it all voluntarily, willingly, purposely. And he's doing it in front of the world.

And that is the difference between a good coach and a bad one.

It's a luxury you have when your team has a real good record and you trust your young players enough to actually play them.

Must be nice to have that luxury. Big 4 have missed enough games so far this season anyway though. Not all by choice but it's not like they have played 35 plus in every single game this season. Is he really going to be sitting Manu when he comes back from injury? And if he does is it really going to help them? Spurs have been pretty embarrased the past couple playoffs so maybe this whole resting, pulling guys early thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. (oh i forgot memphis was a matchup problem for them)

[PosImpos]

Popovich is sitting Tony Parker and Tim Duncan tonight. They're totally healthy, but instead of running them into the ground he's actually voluntarily giving the young guys run, instead of hurting his only guys that give him a chance to win in the playoffs, and he's doing it all voluntarily, willingly, purposely. And he's doing it in front of the world.

And that is the difference between a good coach and a bad one.

It's a luxury you have when your team has a real good record and you trust your young players enough to actually play them.

Must be nice to have that luxury. Big 4 have missed enough games so far this season anyway though. Not all by choice but it's not like they have played 35 plus in every single game this season. Is he really going to be sitting Manu when he comes back from injury? And if he does is it really going to help them? Spurs have been pretty embarrased the past couple playoffs so maybe this whole resting, pulling guys early thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. (oh i forgot memphis was a matchup problem for them)

The last couple of playoffs they faced Memphis, a team that was better than their seed, and yes, was a matchup problem for them -- especially because Manu was injured; and before that, they faced a Suns team that got within a couple games of reaching the Finals.  I'm pretty sure Parker was injured two seasons ago against the Suns, too.

I think the Spurs could have a deep run in them (not saying they'll win a title or anything) if their main guys are all healthy come playoff time.  Big if, though.

[Celtics18]

Popovich is sitting Tony Parker and Tim Duncan tonight. They're totally healthy, but instead of running them into the ground he's actually voluntarily giving the young guys run, instead of hurting his only guys that give him a chance to win in the playoffs, and he's doing it all voluntarily, willingly, purposely. And he's doing it in front of the world.

And that is the difference between a good coach and a bad one.

I can pretty much guarantee you that Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are not ever totally healthy at this stage of their careers. Just because we call it different things when we rest our guys doesn't mean we aren't resting them.

[Who]

That McGee running hook shot across the paint is butt ugly

[CelticG1]

Popovich is sitting Tony Parker and Tim Duncan tonight. They're totally healthy, but instead of running them into the ground he's actually voluntarily giving the young guys run, instead of hurting his only guys that give him a chance to win in the playoffs, and he's doing it all voluntarily, willingly, purposely. And he's doing it in front of the world.

And that is the difference between a good coach and a bad one.

It's a luxury you have when your team has a real good record and you trust your young players enough to actually play them.

Must be nice to have that luxury. Big 4 have missed enough games so far this season anyway though. Not all by choice but it's not like they have played 35 plus in every single game this season. Is he really going to be sitting Manu when he comes back from injury? And if he does is it really going to help them? Spurs have been pretty embarrased the past couple playoffs so maybe this whole resting, pulling guys early thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. (oh i forgot memphis was a matchup problem for them)

The last couple of playoffs they faced Memphis, a team that was better than their seed, and yes, was a matchup problem for them -- especially because Manu was injured; and before that, they faced a Suns team that got within a couple games of reaching the Finals.  I'm pretty sure Parker was injured two seasons ago against the Suns, too.

I think the Spurs could have a deep run in them (not saying they'll win a title or anything) if their main guys are all healthy come playoff time.  Big if, though.

That memphis stuff is a load of crap. Such a joke of an excuse just like dallas losing to GSW. They lost because they choked.

My point is why do people act like Pop is gods gift? People love his coaching philosophies but it seems like his important guys get injured all the time and they never do better than us in the playoffs.

Seriously why do people get giddy when he plays Tim Duncan 15 minutes or has them take off a game?

[mqtcelticsfan]

Minnesota had Ridnour, Rubio and Barea on the court at the same time tonight for half of the second quarter. What the hell?

[PosImpos]

Popovich is sitting Tony Parker and Tim Duncan tonight. They're totally healthy, but instead of running them into the ground he's actually voluntarily giving the young guys run, instead of hurting his only guys that give him a chance to win in the playoffs, and he's doing it all voluntarily, willingly, purposely. And he's doing it in front of the world.

And that is the difference between a good coach and a bad one.

It's a luxury you have when your team has a real good record and you trust your young players enough to actually play them.

Must be nice to have that luxury. Big 4 have missed enough games so far this season anyway though. Not all by choice but it's not like they have played 35 plus in every single game this season. Is he really going to be sitting Manu when he comes back from injury? And if he does is it really going to help them? Spurs have been pretty embarrased the past couple playoffs so maybe this whole resting, pulling guys early thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. (oh i forgot memphis was a matchup problem for them)

The last couple of playoffs they faced Memphis, a team that was better than their seed, and yes, was a matchup problem for them -- especially because Manu was injured; and before that, they faced a Suns team that got within a couple games of reaching the Finals.  I'm pretty sure Parker was injured two seasons ago against the Suns, too.

I think the Spurs could have a deep run in them (not saying they'll win a title or anything) if their main guys are all healthy come playoff time.  Big if, though.

That memphis stuff is a load of crap. Such a joke of an excuse just like dallas losing to GSW. They lost because they choked.

My point is why do people act like Pop is gods gift? People love his coaching philosophies but it seems like his important guys get injured all the time and they never do better than us in the playoffs.

Seriously why do people get giddy when he plays Tim Duncan 15 minutes or has them take off a game?

Are you suggesting that Memphis was not a good team?  Very few 8th seeds are ever as competitive as Memphis was last season.

People applaud Pop for coaching a team that continues to be very successful, all things considered, season after season, long after many predicted that the team would no longer be relevant.  What makes it remarkable is that he does so by making unorthodox, difficult decisions that other coaches would probably never dare to make (e.g. resting stars, leaning heavily on unproven youngsters, etc). 

He has the ability to do that because he's built up so much credibility over the course of his career, and he has the unwavering trust of his core veterans, who he has coached for many years.

[letsgoblue86]

Who's rooting for who?  I hate to say it, but I'm rooting for the Heat.

[KCattheStripe]

That memphis stuff is a load of crap. Such a joke of an excuse just like dallas losing to GSW. They lost because they choked.

It's true, that's why the Thunder beat the Grizzlies so easily in the next round.

[Kiorrik]

Who's rooting for who?  I hate to say it, but I'm rooting for the Heat.

-N-E-V-E-R-

Even Lakers/Heat, I'd root for the Lakers, 'cuz I want my rivals to be at their best.

Worthy opponent > Ridiculous idiots.