NBA 2015-16

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

While I can freely admit to loving watching Steph play ball, I am starting to wonder if the Warriors are running out of gas. There is a reason that Pops always rests guys randomly throughout the year. GS is in the middle of what is probably the worst stretch of their season 7-3 in their last 10. Losing to at home to an average Celtics team and then again at home to a bad TWolves team, throw in that if the Jazz could shoot 50% from the FT line they would've lost that game as well.

I think everyone except Spurs fans want to see a Warriors/Cavs Finals again, but it seems the Warriors might have blown their legs chasing a record that seems they might not get.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

The Spurs can still get home court. They have two games against Golden State and if the Warriors lose another game on top of that, then the Spurs will be tied with the best record. The head to head record will be 3-1 in favor of the Spurs.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Tonight's game will be interesting for several reasons. It may be a chess match between to great coaches as they decide how much to expend to reach various goals. And yes, GS has looked pretty spent late in the game recently. It's hoped the return of Ezeli and Iguodala will help, but re-integrating them into the rotation is also a bit disruptive.

[PaloAltoCougar]

At this point, I suspect few here care much about the season, but I'm curious about what people think about the following. There are lots of discussions on other boards about this year's Warriors vs. the '96 Bulls, with strong arguments being made for each (my sense is a majority seem to favor the Bulls). My question is whether the past two decades have seen advances in the NBA with respect speed, strength, size, and conditioning as we've seen (or so I'm led to believe) in football and other sports and the pro and collegiate levels. Are NBA teams significantly better, top to bottom, physically than their counterparts of the 90s and earlier?

[creekster]

At this point, I suspect few here care much about the season, but I'm curious about what people think about the following. There are lots of discussions on other boards about this year's Warriors vs. the '96 Bulls, with strong arguments being made for each (my sense is a majority seem to favor the Bulls). My question is whether the past two decades have seen advances in the NBA with respect speed, strength, size, and conditioning as we've seen (or so I'm led to believe) in football and other sports and the pro and collegiate levels. Are NBA teams significantly better, top to bottom, physically than their counterparts of the 90s and earlier?

I'm no expert but I'm never short of an opinion. I think that whether or not the Bulls would beat the Warriors would depend largely on which rules apply. I also used to think that as amazing as Curry is, Jordan was just a little bit better in the clutch, at pushing forward to win no matter what. Recently, however, I am starting to think that Curry is aproaching Jordan-esque levels.

I do not think that teams are better physically top to bottom than teams in the 90s.

[clackamascoug]

I'm no expert but I'm never short of an opinion. I think that whether or not the Bulls would beat the Warriors would depend largely on which rules apply. I also used to think that as amazing as Curry is, Jordan was just a little bit better in the clutch, at pushing forward to win no matter what. Recently, however, I am starting to think that Curry is aproaching Jordan-esque levels.

I do not think that teams are better physically top to bottom than teams in the 90s.

At this semi-early stage in his career I think Curry is ahead of Jordan in the game winners. He'll get more and then you can compare head to head.

[creekster]

At this semi-early stage in his career I think Curry is ahead of Jordan in the game winners. He'll get more and then you can compare head to head.

It's not just the number of shots, it was the primal force of will to win. Jordan was on a differnet level than most players, not only due to skill but also to desire. Curry doesnt seem that way, but I might be wrong about that.

[Northwestcoug]

I have an amateur opinion also. Back in the middle of the season when people started talking about 73 wins, I thought for sure that there was no way they would be able to keep their furious pace up for an entire season. Although it looks like they might be tired (and we'll soon see if it will affect them in the playoffs), the Warriors have made a believer out of me. They are closing out the season just as they began; their pace has been unrelenting. They just beat the Spurs twice for crying out loud, one time in SA.

They are one of the best teams in history. Are they as good as the '96 Bulls? We still haven't seen the likes of Michael Jordan, and I doubt we ever will. Curry does some things better than Jordan, but I still think the overall package of Jordan is better. Pippen had a tremendous season, and Rodman was best at what he did. Still, I think the supporting cast of Curry measures up pretty well against the Bulls that year. A finals between them would have gone 7 games, no doubt. I guess since I think the Bulls' superstar was better than the Warriors', I'd pick the Bulls as the better team.

Look at me, I just finished writing this without really reading PAC's question. Are teams physically better now than in the 90's? With no data to back me up, I would think that the advancements in training that come with 20 years of experience would argue that today's teams are physically better.

[jay santos]

There's an evolution in sport such that the champion today should generally be assumed to be stronger than team 20 years prior. It's not just in size and strength, but in knowledge and natural evolution of the game. I watched part of the Kentucky-Texas Western game from 50 years ago that was recently on TV. They didn't contend dribblers or shots, they didn't box out. They made half ass attempts to juke their man to dribble past. It's easy to see the evolution of the game 50 years later. And the evolution was steeper up through the 80's and probably flatter, since, but there are still new inventions to the game every year. There are new dribble moves, new shots, new strategic understanding of spacing, new strategic understanding of how to utilize different positions, new team defense fundamentals. I kind of think the Warriors or Spurs would spank the 90's Bulls.

[Moliere]

If the Warriors win on Wednesday, then they are the better team, hands down.

I'd also take Draymond Green over any bull any day except Jordan.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cougjunkie]

If the Warriors win on Wednesday, then they are the better team, hands down.

I'd also take Draymond Green over any bull any day except Jordan.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Over Pippen? You are crazy. I don't even take him over Kukoc.

[clackamascoug]

There's an evolution in sport such that the champion today should generally be assumed to be stronger than team 20 years prior. It's not just in size and strength, but in knowledge and natural evolution of the game. I watched part of the Kentucky-Texas Western game from 50 years ago that was recently on TV. They didn't content dribblers or shots, they didn't box out. They made half ass attempts to juke their man to dribble past. It's easy to see the evolution of the game 50 years later. And the evolution was steeper up through the 80's and probably flatter, since, but there are still new inventions to the game every year. There are new dribble moves, new shots, new strategic understanding of spacing, new strategic understanding of how to utilize different positions, new team defense fundamentals. I kind of think the Warriors or Spurs would spank the 90's Bulls.

It was called "palming" in our day. Now it's called a "deadly crossover."

[Maximus]

Over Pippen? You are crazy. I don't even take him over Kukoc.

wat

[MartyFunkhouser]

Over Pippen? You are crazy. I don't even take him over Kukoc.

I'd take him over Kukoc, but not over Pippen. It is crazy talk to take him over Pippen, absolute crazy talk.

By the way, I've enjoyed seeing Andre Miller get sporadic minutes with the Spurs and put up some solid games when the Spurs are resting Parker.

Popovich has spoke very highly of Andre.

His basketball IQ is off the charts.

What a pro: tough-minded, disciplined. He’ll pick up things very quickly.

Popovich conceded he's admired Miller from afar over the years, thinking, “Boy, I can figure out how to fit him in.”

I fear the Spurs cannot beat the Warriors, but I'd love to see Dre get a championship in his last season in the NBA.

[PaloAltoCougar]

In a recent interview, Pippen said if the '96 Bulls could play today's Dubs, he'd guard Curry and limit him to below 20, while Jordan would defend Thompson. I assume that would leave our NoKo ambassador, Dennis Rodman to defend Draymond and I think that would be a fun battle, with Green getting the better of it by taking Rodman outside where he was never very comfortable. The Bulls' top two would be better than the Warriors', but I'd expect the rest of the Warriors, with a better bench, would make it a very interesting game.