Best Bench in the NBA?

[cougjunkie]

Apparently Chicago has a better bench than San Antonio.

Second game of a back to back, and it was on the road. The only guy that showed up was Duncan, they were out athleticized(if that is a word).

[Surfah]

Is it great to have the best backup PG when you have maybe the worst starting PG in the NBA?

ROFLMAO.

[TripletDaddy]

Second game of a back to back, and it was on the road. The only guy that showed up was Duncan, they were out athleticized(if that is a word).

I still think SA is going to cruise through their division into the WCF. Kinda goes to what we were chatting about the other night.....when you play an epically horrible team like the Hornets, everyone looks good.

I am wondering if New Orleans wins 35 games this season.

Losing to Chicago is no shame. They are good.

I am interested to see how the Lakers fare tonight against Dallas. The Lakers definitely didn't put the hammer down against the lowly Clippers. Dallas will be more a test for them.

My Power Rankings based on the first few days of the season:

1. Boston Celtics
2. everyone else

The Celtics look like Clubber Lang out there. Angry and focused.

[Surfah]

Losing to Chicago is no shame. They are good.
My Power Rankings based on the first few days of the season:

1. Boston Celtics
2. everyone else

The Celtics look like Clubber Lang out there. Angry and focused.

Chicago is good. The Spurs will be fine. However, I feel like the distance between the Lakers and Spurs is greater than the distance between the Celtics and Magic. The Spurs just don't scare me anymore like they used to.

If the Celtics stay healthy they're going to be nasty. Their problem though is they need to get Rondo's deal done, and they need some youth. But their window of 2-3 years is as good as anyone's.

[MartyFunkhouser]

ROFLMAO.

It particularly funny considering the actual worst starting PG on the NBA is on the Lakers.

[Surfah]

It particularly funny considering the actual worst starting PG on the NBA is on the Lakers.

That was a low blow.

To be honest though I wouldn't trade Fisher for Blake.

It's pretty amazing Fisher has had the career he has given his talent and ability. He's never been a good defender. He's a pretty crappy shooter. He's undersized and slow. He's not even a great passer. He's a pretty average, probably a sub-par point guard if I am being honest.

Yet the guy is in his 14th season, having started more than half of those games and he has 4 rings. He's pretty personable, he's the NBPA President and been doing color commentary for the Sparks the last couple of years possibly setting up his post-playing career.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I still think SA is going to cruise through their division into the WCF. Kinda goes to what we were chatting about the other night.....when you play an epically horrible team like the Hornets, everyone looks good.

I am wondering if New Orleans wins 35 games this season.

Losing to Chicago is no shame. They are good.

I am interested to see how the Lakers fare tonight against Dallas. The Lakers definitely didn't put the hammer down against the lowly Clippers. Dallas will be more a test for them.

My Power Rankings based on the first few days of the season:

1. Boston Celtics
2. everyone else

The Celtics look like Clubber Lang out there. Angry and focused.

The Celtics need to either give Garnett the first couple months off, or limit his minutes while he lets his knee recover some more and/or shake the rust off. Garnett, being the guy that he is, probably wouldn't allow it, but I can't help but think the Celtics would be better off come April, May and June if Garnett kept some miles off this year. The team without Garnett can still win enough games to be in the top 3 in the East. This isn't exactly a new strategy, the Lakers and Spurs each employed it a season or two.

The question for the Celtics (and the Spurs, but not the Lakers) will always be its health. If the Celtics are healthy heading into the playoffs, it will down to the Celtics vs. the WC champion. The Magic and Cavs won't be able to win a 7 game series against them. The Magic were almost offed by the Celtics' remnants last May. Brian Scalabrine was the first big man off the bench.

[JohnnyLingo]

The Magic and Cavs won't be able to win a 7 game series against them. The Magic were almost offed by the Celtics' remnants last May. Brian Scalabrine was the first big man off the bench.

For this Magic team, it starts and ends with Dwight Howard's post play if they ever want a championship. Catch and dunk works fine during the regular season, but in the playoffs he needs to be able to dominate people in the post like Hakeem or Tim Duncan -- and by the way, he's more gifted than either of those guys.

His complete lack of development as a player in this area frustrates me to no end.

[cougjunkie]

For this Magic team, it starts and ends with Dwight Howard's post play if they ever want a championship. Catch and dunk works fine during the regular season, but in the playoffs he needs to be able to dominate people in the post like Hakeem or Tim Duncan -- and by the way, he's more gifted than either of those guys.

His complete lack of development as a player in this area frustrates me to no end.

He is more gifted athletically but not more gifted in terms of basketball talent. Did you watch Duncan last night? He has more post moves than Dwight has Dunk contest dunks. He was absolutely abusing Joakim Noah and Brad Miller.

[MartyFunkhouser]

That was a low blow.

To be honest though I wouldn't trade Fisher for Blake.

That is okay, I wouldn't trade Blake for Fisher. I'd prefer the player who scores more points, gets more assists, has a higher FG%, and has a higher 3 pt FG%

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

That is okay, I wouldn't trade Blake for Fisher. I'd prefer the player who scores more points, gets more assists, has a higher FG%, and has a higher 3 pt FG%

If they put Blake at the end of the bench, start Miller and let Bayless have the back up minutes then the Blazers could be a good team. If Blake is still starting come playoff time, another first round exit.

[Surfah]

That is okay, I wouldn't trade Blake for Fisher. I'd prefer the player who scores more points, gets more assists, has a higher FG%, and has a higher 3 pt FG%

He is marginally better in all those areas. And by the slimmest of margins. I'd take DFish's leadership. That intangible is far greater than the half point difference in all those stats.

[Surfah]

If they put Blake at the end of the bench, start Miller and let Bayless have the back up minutes then the Blazers could be a good team. If Blake is still starting come playoff time, another first round exit.

It's only a matter of games before this happens. Or should happen. Miller saw a majority of the minutes last night. I too think Bayless would be better to bring along than Blake who is a known commodity at this point.

[TripletDaddy]

He is marginally better in all those areas. And by the slimmest of margins. I'd take DFish's leadership. That intangible is far greater than the half point difference in all those stats.

You know, here is something I don't get about Fish....dude is most often a liability, I am not going to argue against that.

But he certainly is no gravy-trainer. He has hit clutch shots in the playoffs. Jax always has him in at the end of the game. And the Lakers jumped at the chance to get him back when he left the Jazz. This tells me that he has exhibited great value in the face of an average (at best) skill set.

How in blazes has Fish been able to have such a productive and memorable career and never really be anything close to the best player on the team?

Those intangibles definitely have value. Fisher's career is a living testament to that, I guess.

That being said....Fish, you are taking a paycut this summer, just letting you know right now.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Fish is one the top 2-3 glue guys in the NBA. With all the complete knuckleheads on every NBA roster, you need guys like Fish to keep things together.

Fish is also very clutch. The most incredible end of the game shot I've ever seen was that Lakers v. Spurs playoff game back in 2004- that even includes Lebron's end of the game 3 against the Magic.