nixluva wrote:VCoug wrote:I'll sigh, shake my head, and say I told you so while I hope and pray that Dolan agrees to blow up the team in a couple of years. Other people will stop comparing us to the 2008 Celtics and will say that we're more like the 1997 Bulls or the Showtime Lakers instead.
Why should we think, as you believe, that this team is likely to have a 1st rd debacle this year?
What about this roster makes this team more likely to have a major letdown and go out in the 1st rd?
This team has the depth and size to matchup with any team in the league, why are some still doubting this team should be one of the top seeds in the East?
Where are the holes in this roster that we should be so fearful of?
No team is perfect but this team seems to be as well put together as any other top team. From everything i'm seeing this team is built to defend at a high level and to play a more mistake free style that will match well with an aggressive defense. I'm seeing a team that is made for a long playoff run. IMO the Heat, Celtics and Knicks are the top 3 teams in the East. My guess is Knicks finish 2nd or 3rd, no worse.
A. Our back court sucks. I'm not sure Felton is one of the 20 best point guards in the league and he's starting for us. Jason Kidd is completely washed up. Shumpert and Brewer are hurt and Shumpert's injury usually takes two years to recover from.
B. Novak is our only shooter. When we run a pick and roll teams will double the roller and dare whoever has the ball to shoot a long jumper. And when teams go to double Melo or Amare there is no one who can make the other team pay.
C. Amare has been battling a back injury for a year and a half now. There's at least a 50/50 chance that he will never be close to the same player he was in 2010/11. Last season was the worst of his career and his back was so bad he had trouble even dunking the ball on multiple occasions. Back injuries can be very trick and very difficult to recover from and there is a long list of players that never have.
D. There's no evidence that the Melo/Amare/Tyson frontcourt will work. When Melo first got here there were flashes with him and Amare that they could both possibly play effectively together. There was absolutely no evidence that the three of them can play well together. Until I see it on the court I won't believe the three of them can play effective basketball together.
E. We were stomped each of the last two years in the first round. We can throw out two years ago since our team looks nothing like that anymore, but last season was a ****ing embarrassment. We didn't look like we belonged on the same court as Miami and the only reason we won a game was because they took their foot of the gas AND Wade played awful in game 4. I don't believe that adding a host of mediocre players and Marcus Camby can fix that.
F. Tyson, Amare, Camby, and Shumpert are all injury prone and MDA might have ruined Amare's career two years ago. Also, Kidd, Thomas, and Wallace are all very old and it's quite possible they can't make it through a full season. I don't have faith that we will be reasonably healthy at the end of the season.
G. As far as I'm concerned Miami, Boston and a healthy Chicago team are all better than us. And Brooklyn and Philly are better than they were last year while Indy is still a good team. It's not out of the realm of possibility that we could finish as low as 6 or 7 in the conference.
H. I'm not convinced that Woodson is the right coach for the team and he certainly isn't a better option that Phil Jackson. I know we finished the year 18-6 but I think that had more to do with MDA leaving than Woodson being promoted and Amare was hurt for most of that run which allowed us to balance our lineups better
Now the joy of my world is in Zion
How beautiful if nothing more
Than to wait at Zion's door
I've never been in love like this before
Now let me pray to keep you from
The perils that will surely come
