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The Heat have already lost. Either they lose and they are failures. Or they win, prove nothing and everyone hates them. I also don't think the 'You say you hate them yet you want to watch them' argument holds any water whatsoever. Uh; Nurse Ratched, The Joker, the chick who paralyzes the Hilary Swank in Gone Baby Gone. Anyway, there may be some Heat apologists on this board, or perhaps there ought to be, as a bunch of Bulls fans were hoping the alignment would have taken place in Chicago.

As for my Blazers, not that anyone cares. I think Wesley Matthews is going to make that contract everyone is scratching their head at look smart. It's also kind of a big year because it's Oden's last chance. Either he gets hurt and they finally regroup, or he stays healthy and makes them a deep-run playoff team.

Also Paul and Melo are going to be traded at some point.

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"Isn't it just like BirdBot 6000 [the deity of the Beltran's bizarre cult] to send us to a team called the 'Cardinals?'" -Jessica Beltran
VolatileLyle

THUNDER UP

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Movie Musings - My Reviews & Analysis (read plz)

I agree. I like Mathews.

I don't really have anything much to add so,

1. Heat*
2. Celtics*
3. Magic
4. Bulls*
5. Bucks
6. Hawks
7. Knicks (Will be higher if Melo moves pre-All Star break)
8. Charlotte

1. Lakers*
2. Mavericks*
3. Thunder*
4. Jazz
5. Rockets
6. Trailblazer
7. Spurs
8. Suns

*Division Winner

West winner: Lakers
East winner: Celtics
Champion: Lakers

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"If it was anyone but Carp, I would have said, 'No,'" Matheny said. "Anyone but Carp."

I'm very intrigued by this season as a Hornets fan. They're still on the outside of the playoffs looking in, but I feel like they've at least got a direction. Dell Demps has completely overhauled this roster, and I get the sense he isn't done yet. My guess is he'll move West or Okafor (probably West) and maybe the league's most valuable trading piece in Peja for a more athletic big.

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You really think Mavs #2? I haven't been that impressed with their offseason, what do you see that looks so good?

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100 years of losing on the wall
100 years of losing
what's that I hear? Wait till next year...
101 years of losing on the wall.

Their offseason was last year's trade deadline, but beyond that, it's more what the other teams in the west didn't do. I think it's a little early still for the Thunder, the Spurs are old, the Suns have a roster of soft, small forwards, the Nuggets are going to lose Carmelo, the Rockets are intriguing but Yao could be dead, the Blazers are overrated by their fans (sorry, Sai) and too dependent on injury prone dudes, the Jazz are a mystery because they've lost so many old hands to the Bulls and Al Jefferson sucks on defense and the Mavs are experienced. The West is weaker and almost by default they are that high.

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"If it was anyone but Carp, I would have said, 'No,'" Matheny said. "Anyone but Carp."

Denver won their division the last 2 years, but you don't think they'll make the playoffs?

They also just waxed Phoenix by 38 points (pre-season, granted).

C'mon thill, where's the Nugget love??!!

It's in New York, at the Garden.

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"If it was anyone but Carp, I would have said, 'No,'" Matheny said. "Anyone but Carp."

Nicely played!

There sure is plenty of smoke there, but I just don't see how that happens. New York just doesn't have anything to send Denver's way. I actually thought the deal to New Jersey seemed like a perfect match, and would likely happen......... but nothing yet. At this point, I almost think Denver rides the storm out with 'Melo this year, and he walks next off-season. Either that or he signs the extension with Denver. He stands to lose a boatload of money if he chooses to let his current contract expire.

If the Nuggets wanted to do the mega-trade route, and Chris Paul really wants a superstar with him in the Crescent City, I could see something like West, Thornton, Peja and some draft picks for Melo and another piece.

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