Jeff Van Gundy predicts the Heat will win 73 games (beating the '96 Bulls' 72)

[RamiTheBullsFan]

How ridiculous is this guy... This is why I shook my head at all of the people who wanted the Bulls' to hire him.

His logic is that 'Oh if the Cavs can win 66 one season, surely the Heat can win 6 more.' I can't even begin to articulate how simple-minded that mentality is...

 

[waldo7239117]

Not going to happen. The Heat will lose more, I can guarantee it. JVG should just shut the **** up.

 

[CODE_BLUE56]

 

[Anytime23]

I think the Heat will break it and do it a few times. It doesnt matter though, everyone knows the Bulls record is more impressive no matter what the Heat do. The Bulls werent a trio of superstars and role players who all took less money to play together. Nothing like this has ever happened in the NBA before and it hurts the NBAs credibility.

 

[DewsSox79]

**** van gundy

 

[Scoot26]

I think the Heat will break it and do it a few times. It doesnt matter though, everyone knows the Bulls record is more impressive no matter what the Heat do. The Bulls werent a trio of superstars and role players who all took less money to play together. Nothing like this has ever happened in the NBA before and it hurts the NBAs credibility.

To me...If the Heat do break it the record it will be next season only and only because they lose in the playoffs this year.

Let me show you:
In 1995-1996
1) Jordan lost the previous year in the second round and was pissed off
2) Jordan was now back completely after his retirement
3) The Bulls added Dennis Rodman to complete a weaken front court after Horace Grant left
4) The NBA was in a much WEAKER state than it is today.
5) They did not get bored until winning 70 games.

That is why the 95-96 Bulls went 72-10.

Who were the top teams in 95-96?
Sonics were 64-18 with Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton and Detlef Schrempf
Magic were 60-22 with Shaq and Penny Hardaway
Pacers were 52-30 with Reggie Miller and a bunch of role players
Spurs were 59-23 with David Robinson and a bunch of role players
Jazz were 55-27 with Karl Malone and Stockton
Lakers were 53-29 with Cedric Ceballos averging 21.2 ppg (only time he did that)..Rest of the core was Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones
Rockets with Hakeem and Drexler, only won 48 games
Knicks with Ewing and role players

Now today you have:
The Heat with Bosh, Bron, and Wade
Lakers with Bynum, Gasol, Artest, and Kobe
Celtics with KG, Pierce, Allen, Rondo
Magic with Dwight Howard, Lewis, Carter
Thunder with Durant, Green, Westbrook
Bulls with Noah, Boozer, and Rose
Hawks with Horford, Josh Smith, and Joe Johnson
Mavericks with Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and Jason Terry
Nuggets with Carmelo and Billups
Jazz with Al Jefferson and Deron Williams
Spurs with Duncan and Parker
Portland with Brandon Roy and a bunch of roll players

To me, the NBA has much stronger teams than in 95/96 and not to put down the Bulls, but to me that just makes things harder for the Heat. They have to play 100% until they break the Bulls record and they cannot get bored at all all season and all need to play 82 games. I just think theres too many teams in today's game that can beat this team on an off night.

Also as LeBron and Bosh have proven by joining forces with Wade in Miami..None of those guys have the killer instinct that Jordan did. LeBron can do wonderful things, but to me they will care more about just getting to the playoffs as the #1 seed and thats it. After that they will not care anymore because they just want to win. I think if they do lose in the playoffs.. they may be motivated enough to win a ton of games next season and then they might break the Bulls record.

All-in-all I just dont see it happening.

 

[JCM]

To me...If the Heat do break it the record it will be next season only and only because they lose in the playoffs this year.

Let me show you:
In 1995-1996
1) Jordan lost the previous year in the second round and was pissed off
2) Jordan was now back completely after his retirement
3) The Bulls added Dennis Rodman to complete a weaken front court after Horace Grant left
4) The NBA was in a much WEAKER state than it is today.
5) They did not get bored until winning 70 games.

That is why the 95-96 Bulls went 72-10.

Who were the top teams in 95-96?
Sonics were 64-18 with Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton and Detlef Schrempf
Magic were 60-22 with Shaq and Penny Hardaway
Pacers were 52-30 with Reggie Miller and a bunch of role players
Spurs were 59-23 with David Robinson and a bunch of role players
Jazz were 55-27 with Karl Malone and Stockton
Lakers were 53-29 with Cedric Ceballos averging 21.2 ppg (only time he did that)..Rest of the core was Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones
Rockets with Hakeem and Drexler, only won 48 games
Knicks with Ewing and role players

Now today you have:
The Heat with Bosh, Bron, and Wade
Lakers with Bynum, Gasol, Artest, and Kobe
Celtics with KG, Pierce, Allen, Rondo
Magic with Dwight Howard, Lewis, Carter
Thunder with Durant, Green, Westbrook
Bulls with Noah, Boozer, and Rose
Hawks with Horford, Josh Smith, and Joe Johnson
Mavericks with Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and Jason Terry
Nuggets with Carmelo and Billups
Jazz with Al Jefferson and Deron Williams
Spurs with Duncan and Parker
Portland with Brandon Roy and a bunch of roll players

To me, the NBA has much stronger teams than in 95/96 and not to put down the Bulls, but to me that just makes things harder for the Heat. They have to play 100% until they break the Bulls record and they cannot get bored at all all season and all need to play 82 games. I just think theres too many teams in today's game that can beat this team on an off night.

Also as LeBron and Bosh have proven by joining forces with Wade in Miami..None of those guys have the killer instinct that Jordan did. LeBron can do wonderful things, but to me they will care more about just getting to the playoffs as the #1 seed and thats it. After that they will not care anymore because they just want to win. I think if they do lose in the playoffs.. they may be motivated enough to win a ton of games next season and then they might break the Bulls record.

All-in-all I just dont see it happening.

this.

JVG is full of BS. JVG has always hated the bulls. :angryfinger:

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Records are meant to be broken.

 

[BigP50]

I dont see this happening for a loooooooooooooooooong time. I think they will be 63-19

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

Everybody says Miami will be great defensively. Maybe they will until they run into teams with a couple of offensive dynamos like

Westbrook + Durant

Howard + Nelson/Carter

Bryant + Gasol/Bynum

Carmelo Anthony + anybody else on the Nuggets who happen to be hot that day.

Allen + Pierce + 5 effective low-post scorers.

And if Rose turns into the next giant/more athletic version of Isiah Thomas to go along with Boozer... watch out.

Miami has some nice depth to perhaps win 66 or 67 (at extreme highest), but there are too many good teams out there to win 70. Especially when you consider how suspect they are at the 1 and 5 positions.

And as for the post-season... Miami has no meaningful playoff depth. Their 5 best players play the middle 3 positions. Unless Riley is coaching that team, I think LAL, BOS, and ORL stand VERY good odds of beating them.

And I'd love to see Miami try to mesh Wade+Miller+James (turnover fest) onto the floor at the same time... or Haslem+Bosh (they will get banged on in the paint). Disaster waiting to happen.

 

[USCChiFan]

Howard will punish Miami inside. They have no chance w/ their below average frontcourt depth in the playoffs IMO

 

[Anytime23]

I cant agree that the teams of today are better than they were in the 90s. I honestly cannot tell you how the bottom feeders of the East were back then because i was very young but for years now the East has been really weak. Bulls make the playoffs in 2 consecutive years with a .500 record and some of the other seeds werent much better. The East if pretty top heavy and very talented, but back in the 90s the Bulls we're facing great Pacers, Knicks, Magic, Piston teams. Maybe not all were great in 95-96 but you know what i mean. The East was stacked with HOFs.

In their first year together the big 3 came pretty close to hitting 72 wins and that team didnt have the talent that this Heat team has. Say what you want about their front court but ive seen enough of Joel Anthony to know that the guy can play defense and rebound but he's anything but a scorer. Mike Miller is a better shooter than House(whos also on the Heat) and Posey or whatever guys the Celtics had on the bench. They have 2 of the top 3 best players in the league and arguably the second best PF. Good luck to anyone trying to defend that. Chalmers, Wade, Lebron, Anthony and Haslem can all play defense.

Its not stupid to say if LeBron can take that Cavs team to 66 wins, he can break 72 with the Heat. Their big 3 have all carried their teams over the years. Together they will run through the league but i stick to my argument that the Bulls were more impressive no matter what the Heat do. The Bulls built that team the right way.

I usually dont wish harm upon players but i wouldnt mind seeing both James and Bosh get season ending injuries and have Wade stuck with another crappy team.

 

[Scoot26]

I cant agree that the teams of today are better than they were in the 90s. I honestly cannot tell you how the bottom feeders of the East were back then because i was very young but for years now the East has been really weak. Bulls make the playoffs in 2 consecutive years with a .500 record and some of the other seeds werent much better. The East if pretty top heavy and very talented, but back in the 90s the Bulls we're facing great Pacers, Knicks, Magic, Piston teams. Maybe not all were great in 95-96 but you know what i mean. The East was stacked with HOFs.

This is just strictly speaking in 95-96. The Pistons were a playoff team, but still very young and building talent (which they would constantly trade away)
The Pacers role players were not what they were two-three years later from 1996 when they were in the ECF and NBA Finals. The Knicks problem was Ewing was only surrounded by role players. John Starks may have made an All-Star team or two, but to me hes pretty much what Kirk Hinrich was in the earlier part of his career (But much more nasty). The Magic were the only real foe to the Bulls and the Bulls swept them in the ECF. I have heard that there were injuries and such on the Magic in that ECF but whatever. Point is the Bulls destroyed them and Shaq and Penny were at their best that year.

You had 10 teams that finished over .500 in the west last season while the East was weak outside the Top 4. This year the Bulls make the east stronger giving them 6 top teams in the East along with 10 that are still strong in the west.

In their first year together the big 3 came pretty close to hitting 72 wins and that team didnt have the talent that this Heat team has. Say what you want about their front court but ive seen enough of Joel Anthony to know that the guy can play defense and rebound but he's anything but a scorer. Mike Miller is a better shooter than House(whos also on the Heat) and Posey or whatever guys the Celtics had on the bench. They have 2 of the top 3 best players in the league and arguably the second best PF. Good luck to anyone trying to defend that. Chalmers, Wade, Lebron, Anthony and Haslem can all play defense.

Yeah they did come close..but the point is... they didnt..The Dallas Mavericks won 67 games in 2007 and lost in the 1st round. Was that team very talented?

Its not stupid to say if LeBron can take that Cavs team to 66 wins, he can break 72 with the Heat. Their big 3 have all carried their teams over the years. Together they will run through the league but i stick to my argument that the Bulls were more impressive no matter what the Heat do. The Bulls built that team the right way.

I usually dont wish harm upon players but i wouldnt mind seeing both James and Bosh get season ending injuries and have Wade stuck with another crappy team.

Its logical to think if LeBron can win 66 games with that Cavs team he should be able to break 72 with the Heat. With that Heat team he should be able to win all 82 games and never lose a game if he could win 66 games with Cleveland.

 

[Chi-Town Brahma]

Since when does anything Jeff Van Gundy say matter?.. :dunno:

Guy's not known to be the smartest individual. Screw him.... Lol

 

[CODE_BLUE56]

JVG is just rambling....who cares

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

Since when does anything Stan Van Gundy say matter?.. :dunno:

Guy's not known to be the smartest individual. Screw him.... Lol

It wasnt Stan... it was his dumb brother, Jeff.

Stan actually says mostly intelligent things. And has actually blasted Miami a few times (before and after Bosh+Bron signings).

 

[cubsneedmiracle]

doesn't =

or anything above 60 wins.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Some of you need to get over this.

 

[Chi-Town Brahma]

It wasnt Stan... it was his dumb brother, Jeff.

Stan actually says mostly intelligent things. And has actually blasted Miami a few times (before and after Bosh+Bron signings).

Yeah mental mistake. Meant Jeff, typed Stan lol.

Your right tho.

 

[Crystallas]

I never take JVG seriously, even though he never jokes.