Where will the Bulls finish in the Eastern Confrence?

[scottiepippen1994]

I say the Bulls will be 8th at best.....and LoL to those that put the Bulls ahead of the 76ers and Knicks :rolling:
The Bulls will be the lowest scoring team in the East.

 

[BigP50]

I think it depends when D-Rose comes back. So ill go with

1. Miami
2. Indiana
3. Nets
4. Celtics
5. Bulls

 

[Crystallas]

I think Atlanta liked the Experiment with Pachulia at Center, moving Horford to 4 and Smith to 3. While they lost JJ, I don't think the Hawks are going to be out of the running and I think Devin Harris is still going to be a solid player no matter where he goes. Other than facing Miami 4 times, they have 3 rehabilitating teams they face 12 times in the year. IMO an advantage that teams in the Atlantic and Central don't have. I don't take Orlando, Washington, and Charlotte seriously(when it comes to projecting a playoff seed).

I don't see Cleveland breaking into the top 8 or Milwaukee. Detroit is a question mark. Cleveland is going to improve, but not enough. That's NBA purgatory for ya. Milwaukee needs too many players to have career years, they are building their team around what looks to be the same blue-print the Pistons had 3 years ago. Detroit has a lot of talent, but shit focus. Key guys get focused, and it's a whole new ballgame. I wouldn't be surprised if They slipped into the 7-8 with Atlanta.

Then The Bulls and Pacers. I can't underestimate either coach here. Without Derrick for a good chunk of the season, I still see the Bulls as a slim-favorite to win the Division, but I don't expect that to be unanimous. That gets the Bulls a #4 seed, and Indiana a 6 seed IMO, not because Indiana has gotten worse, but because the Atlantic has gotten better.

Don't sleep on KG, ever. But Boston, how are they hanging on? Now that Ray is gone, it opens up a lot of question marks. Courtney Lee has big shoes to fill, and maybe he'll pan out. I don't know. When the ship sinks, it's going to go in one season and maybe that is this season. Nobody should have Toronto in the mix, that leaves 3 teams that are going to be fighting it out all season long, and seeds 2,3, and 5. The 5th seed will likely have a better record than the Bulls.


1.) Miami
2.) Philadelphia
3.) New York
4.) Chicago
5.) Brooklyn
6.) Indiana
7.) Atlanta
8.) Detroit

That's just how I see it right now. All opinions welcome, except the keyboard warriors who pounce on you for having an opinion at all.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

I think Atlanta liked the Experiment with Pachulia at Center, moving Horford to 4 and Smith to 3. While they lost JJ, I don't think the Hawks are going to be out of the running and I think Devin Harris is still going to be a solid player no matter where he goes. Other than facing Miami 4 times, they have 3 rehabilitating teams they face 12 times in the year. IMO an advantage that teams in the Atlantic and Central don't have. I don't take Orlando, Washington, and Charlotte seriously(when it comes to projecting a playoff seed).

I don't see Cleveland breaking into the top 8 or Milwaukee. Detroit is a question mark. Cleveland is going to improve, but not enough. That's NBA purgatory for ya. Milwaukee needs too many players to have career years, they are building their team around what looks to be the same blue-print the Pistons had 3 years ago. Detroit has a lot of talent, but shit focus. Key guys get focused, and it's a whole new ballgame. I wouldn't be surprised if They slipped into the 7-8 with Atlanta.

Then The Bulls and Pacers. I can't underestimate either coach here. Without Derrick for a good chunk of the season, I still see the Bulls as a slim-favorite to win the Division, but I don't expect that to be unanimous. That gets the Bulls a #4 seed, and Indiana a 6 seed IMO, not because Indiana has gotten worse, but because the Atlantic has gotten better.

Don't sleep on KG, ever. But Boston, how are they hanging on? Now that Ray is gone, it opens up a lot of question marks. Courtney Lee has big shoes to fill, and maybe he'll pan out. I don't know. When the ship sinks, it's going to go in one season and maybe that is this season. Nobody should have Toronto in the mix, that leaves 3 teams that are going to be fighting it out all season long, and seeds 2,3, and 5. The 5th seed will likely have a better record than the Bulls.


1.) Miami
2.) Philadelphia
3.) New York
4.) Chicago
5.) Brooklyn
6.) Indiana
7.) Atlanta
8.) Detroit

That's just how I see it right now. All opinions welcome, except the keyboard warriors who pounce on you for having an opinion at all.

I'm pretty sure you didn't have Boston on there last year... just saying... that is unbelievably bold. Their defense is still spectacular. Jason Terry is arguably a step up from Ray Allen, as well. They also added Jeff Green. And Jared Sullinger is also a nice x-factor which could help even more.

It is pretty crazy to not have them in the playoffs...

Detroit? There is almost zero chance they will make the playoffs. Toronto will be just as good as them if not better.

I don't think Atlanta has enough front-court players to allow Josh Smith much PT at the 3-spot. I don't think the Hawks will even make it to .500 next season.

 

[Crystallas]

I'm pretty sure you didn't have Boston on there last year... just saying... that is unbelievably bold. Their defense is still spectacular. Jason Terry is arguably a step up from Ray Allen, as well. They also added Jeff Green. And Jared Sullinger is also a nice x-factor which could help even more.

It is pretty crazy to not have them in the playoffs...

Detroit? There is almost zero chance they will make the playoffs. Toronto will be just as good as them if not better.

I don't think Atlanta has enough front-court players to allow Josh Smith much PT at the 3-spot. I don't think the Hawks will even make it to .500 next season.

Yep, I'm disrespectin' Boston. :yep: :yep: :yep: Oh well. Hell, at the start of last season, Boston was BAD. Kudos to them for pulling it together, but I don't expect that to happen forever. Ainge has too much of a trigger finger, and age is always a factor.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

Yep, I'm disrespectin' Boston. :yep: :yep: :yep: Oh well. Hell, at the start of last season, Boston was BAD. Kudos to them for pulling it together, but I don't expect that to happen forever. Ainge has too much of a trigger finger, and age is always a factor.

Ainge might make a tweak or two but this team right here is easily going to be better than Detroit:
C- Garnett, Melo
4- Green, Bass, Sullinger
3- Pierce
2- Terry, Bradley, Lee
1- Rondo

3 out 4 backcourt players are fairly young. And they just added Green (not old) to back-up Pierce. And drafted 2 front-court players in the first round. They honestly look better than they do last year. Their depth was shitty last year and now they have it back and then some.

And don't underestimate what Toronto can do with a healthy Andrea Bargnani. They were 13-18 with him in the line-up. And while that doesn't sound like anything to be scared of, they did add Jonas Valanciunas. He didn't have a great Olympics but he has the size and tools to give them the ability to have a natural center and have Andrea play his natural position. Jose Calderon is also going to come off of the bench now because Kyle Lowry is a nice step up defensively/scoring/rebounding-wise. And Landry Fields also is a much more dependable player than James Johnson was last year.

 

[Crystallas]

Ainge might make a tweak or two but this team right here is easily going to be better than Detroit:
C- Garnett, Melo
4- Green, Bass, Sullinger
3- Pierce
2- Terry, Bradley, Lee
1- Rondo

And don't underestimate what Toronto can do with a healthy Andrea Bargnani. They were 13-18 with him in the line-up. And while that doesn't sound like anything to be scared of, they did add Jonas Valanciunas. He didn't have a great Olympics but he has the size and tools to give them the ability to have a natural center and have Andrea play his natural position. Jose Calderon is also going to come off of the bench now because Kyle Lowry is a nice step up defensively/scoring/rebounding-wise. And Landry Fields also is a much more dependable player than James Johnson was last year.

But you don't get my point. It's not about Boston being worse than Detroit. It's about the Atlantic getting that much better this year. I don't think Detroit is better than Boston, no. I think Detroit is going to benefit the most from their schedule. They are going to be that surprise team that doesn't belong in the playoffs.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

But you don't get my point. It's not about Boston being worse than Detroit. It's about the Atlantic getting that much better this year. I don't think Detroit is better than Boston, no. I think Detroit is going to benefit the most from their schedule. They are going to be that surprise team that doesn't belong in the playoffs.

There really isn't a big difference when it comes to division play in the NBA. You play division teams 4x versus 3x against teams in your conference/non-divisional.

The Atlantic has improved. But the Central isn't terrible or anything. Milwaukee should be solid. I could see the world's greatest high school coach (Scott Skiles) having a heart attack because of Ellis and Jennings botching that half-court offense and gambling on defense. But they have a true defensive-minded center in Dalembert and Ilyasova is like a poor man's Kevin Love. Detroit has 3 decent teams in their division while Boston has 4 decent teams in their's (including Toronto).

Boston's 3 best players not named Rondo* are old. But they have plenty of young depth everywhere else. So they will be fine in the thick of the schedule. Brooklyn might have a tough start. They have 1 true center who is injury prone and is terrible at rebounding. Their defense will be bad at best.

 

[Crystallas]

There really isn't a big difference when it comes to division play in the NBA. You play division teams 4x versus 3x against teams in your conference/non-divisional.

The Atlantic has improved. But the Central isn't terrible or anything. Milwaukee should be solid. I could see the world's greatest high school coach (Scott Skiles) having a heart attack because of Ellis and Jennings botching that half-court offense and gambling on defense. But they have a true defensive-minded center in Dalembert and Ilyasova is like a poor man's Kevin Love. Detroit has 3 decent teams in their division while Boston has 4 decent teams in their's (including Toronto).

Boston's 3 best players are old. But they have plenty of young depth everywhere else. So they will be fine in the thick of the schedule. Brooklyn might have a tough start. They have 1 true center who is injury prone and is terrible at rebounding. Their defense will be bad at best.

There is enough of a difference to move a team up or down a seed. Schedules and divisions are a factor. Especially when you're traveling further to play easy teams, but your toughest matchups are nearby. That's an impact on play. Just like back to back games are an impact.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

There is enough of a difference to move a team up or down a seed. Schedules and divisions are a factor. Especially when you're traveling further to play easy teams, but your toughest matchups are nearby. That's an impact on play. Just like back to back games are an impact.

Even if that logic was true (I'm not so sure), Philadelphia, New York, and Brooklyn are hardly above mediocre. Philly was just gutted of their veteran forwards and their backcourt depth. Will they be better than last year right away? Probably not. Brooklyn has no dependable back-up center and their only very good defense player is pretty much Gerald Wallace. The Knicks... are still the Knicks until they prove otherwise. I think they will be a worthy foe (finally) but they still look at Boston as the big dogs in that division.

And it is the NBA. They won't need to travel anywhere for home games/stands. Road trips are tough but those usually comes on road trips. I guarantee you the Celtics are looking forward to their Washington/Charlotte/Atlanta/Orlando tour this upcoming season.

 

[Crystallas]

Even if that logic was true (I'm not so sure), Philadelphia, New York, and Brooklyn are hardly above mediocre. Philly was just gutted of their veteran forwards and their backcourt depth. Will they be better than last year right away? Probably not. Brooklyn has no dependable back-up center and their only very good defense player is pretty much Gerald Wallace. The Knicks... are still the Knicks until they prove otherwise. I think they will be a worthy foe (finally) but they still look at Boston as the big dogs in that division.

And it is the NBA. They won't need to travel anywhere for home games/stands. Road trips are tough but those usually comes on road trips. I guarantee you the Celtics are looking forward to their Washington/Charlotte/Atlanta/Orlando tour this upcoming season.

Then I don't get what this is about? Is this a your opinion > my opinion thing, or what? LOL I ask, because nothing you have said has been exempt from consideration before I made my opinion.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

Then I don't get what this is about? Is this a your opinion > my opinion thing, or what? LOL I ask, because nothing you have said has been exempt from consideration before I made my opinion.

Basically am just seeing if I can sway you into my way of thinking. I am trying to be persuasive more than intrusive.

 

[Crystallas]

Basically am just seeing if I can sway you into my way of thinking. I am trying to be persuasive more than intrusive.

Well, my achilles heel will remain that I think Boston is playing on borrowed time. They could prove you right and me wrong. That's fine. Just don't confuse my seeding as how I rank the teams as far as who is the best to worst.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

Well, my achilles heel will remain that I think Boston is playing on borrowed time. They could prove you right and me wrong. That's fine. Just don't confuse my seeding as how I rank the teams as far as who is the best to worst.

Well, last year, I thought your Boston falling out of the playoffs prediction was a good bold prediction because of that all of Boston's core players except Rondo were all old. And their depth was horrible (and I thought that shortened schedule would be too much for their legs on a daily basis- they came in super out-of-shape). This year, I think you might be a little too quick to slap that 'old' / 'hanging on by the string of their teeth' label on them is all. And I do realize that predicting seeding is different than an all-out power ranking of sorts. There are all sorts of factors (mostly injuries and other variables that cannot be very easily predicted) which decide that. All in all, the NBA schedule is as close to as fair across the board for all 30 teams as any pro-sports league could hope for.

 

[Crystallas]

Well, last year, I thought your Boston falling out of the playoffs prediction was a good bold prediction because of that all of Boston's core players except Rondo were all old. And their depth was horrible (and I thought that shortened schedule would be too much for their legs on a daily basis- they came in super out-of-shape). This year, I think you might be a little too quick to slap that 'old' / 'hanging on by the string of their teeth' label on them is all. And I do realize that predicting seeding is different than an all-out power ranking of sorts. There are all sorts of factors (mostly injuries and other variables that cannot be very easily predicted) which decide that. All in all, the NBA schedule is as close to as fair across the board for all 30 teams as any pro-sports league could hope for.

Yeah, I read what you said the first time.

You know, these things here. They are just for shits'n'giggles. You know, get Bulls fans to come out, post, we get to know each other, ect. I don't know what is up with the whole x-opinion > x-opinion. Seriously. WGAF? I don't think anyone here does it, but I hope nobody's life is so meaningless, that they go back and worry about last year, and last year's logic in a participation topic. I once-over the schedule, bam. Some years I get it 100% on the dot, some years are straight bone-headed. Oh well. Lighten up Rami. Have some fun. Make BOLD predictions. It sure as hell doesn't hurt anyone.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

Yeah, I read what you said the first time.

You know, these things here. They are just for shits'n'giggles. You know, get Bulls fans to come out, post, we get to know each other, ect. I don't know what is up with the whole x-opinion > x-opinion. Seriously. WGAF? I don't think anyone here does it, but I hope nobody's life is so meaningless, that they go back and worry about last year, and last year's logic in a participation topic. I once-over the schedule, bam. Some years I get it 100% on the dot, some years are straight bone-headed. Oh well. Lighten up Rami. Have some fun. Make BOLD predictions. It sure as hell doesn't hurt anyone.

Well, not every opinion has to be personal either. This is a forum made to discuss those openly. I felt compelled to say something about Boston because that team deserves a little bit more credibility than you are giving them. I mean... Detroit... can't put them over them and expect to hear nothing man!

 

[Crystallas]

Well, not every opinion has to be personal either. This is a forum made to discuss those openly. I felt compelled to say something about Boston because that team deserves a little bit more credibility than you are giving them. I mean... Detroit... can't put them over them and expect to hear nothing man!

:shrug: Again, I'm well aware.

 

[Crystallas]

Okay, since we're already derailed on your obsession with why I have Boston out of place.

Let me ask you this. Do you factor in unforeseeable injuries in your predictions? I'm not talking about the injury prone guys, but the teams that lose that one piece guy, and how they fall. It's almost completely random, but you look at the team, the roster, the schedule. Who is getting the minutes on this team, where they have to cover down, and how, also, if that next player might break out and out-perform all expectations, ect. Does this play a role in how you play this game of seeding teams?

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

Well, you were the one who said "all opinions welcome" and I am not trying to put down your opinion. Part of the "fun" for me is understanding why people come to the views they come to. And it was hard for me to wrap my mind around that one so it irked me.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

You did give an explanation though so that is cool. We'll just have to disagree