3G4G wrote:You guys should keep threads about basketball Initially fans tried to welcome the move of trading for Francis to couple with Marbury. No matter the unrest the team was dealing with at the time, there was always the thought the team was going to turn it around eventually
While both teams are vastly different in comparison... the expectations were similarly relative to their respective ceilings. Maybe fans feel the current team is truly "Contention" worthy whereas the team back then was "Playoff" worthy. Is there any difference in terms of desired results if they are/had they been met? No there isn't.
The point I'm making I don't think any player from a known rival has this kind of genuine respect for us. Not when we haven't won/beat them. We can make them feel this way eventually. While I do feel some players may be cool or buddy buddy with certain players or people across organizations, this isn't something that should be taken at face value when we hear things like this said. Especially from someone like Bosh. I mean who says the word 'freakin" in the press? I think Bosh is trying to play the reverse psyco tip. He's proven to be oddly different throughout his NBA career none more so than his Championship celebration.
I'm not sure where this notion comes from we're being overlooked either. Last year Magic Johnson/John Barry thought we were going to be a first round playoff nightmare for teams, no matter who faced us. Early projections this year have us 4/5th 5/4th finishes. How is that being overlooked when it's a higher projection than last year and higher than where we finished the season last year? It's near contention correct? What about the Jeremy Lin hype machine? It was some of the most powerful stuff I've ever seen. I think most of us were okay with it at the time, although some may have liked it to be toned down slightly.
I also don't see where the over hyping of Brooklyn is at? Maybe locally there is some megaphone type noise but that's to be expected. Most feel they will be better than last year and possibly can make some playoff noise. Uhhhhh this sounds about as even handed as could be. Are we expecting the media to say they'll flop?
Personally I like less talk/hype from everyone media/players/fans and more proven results when the games count. Just go get the job done and everything will take care of itself
Do you hear the Celtics and Spurs constantly talking about them being disrespected every year because they are an older team? More often than not they prove the media nay sayers wrong with results.
Don't look now but Shaq just said Knicks are the team to beat in New York not Brooklyn. There have been a few others giving us similar credit up to this point. Pay more attention if it matters this much what's being said.
Not even Isiah, who pulled the trigger on the trade, fully bought in to the Marbury/Francis combo ever having a chance. I'm paraphrasing here, but he said something to the extent of, "Its so crazy it might work." Any basketball fan with an ounce of BB knowledge knew that the tandem of Marbury and Francis was doomed before it even started. 2 combo guards who need to ball to be effective in the same backcourt? One of them had to play off the ball and would be too short to guard the other teams 2. Not to mention rumors of Francis' off the court issues, bouts with depression and insubordination in Orlando all spelled doom. Not to mention Marbs turbulent relationship with LB.
If nothing else, this team will be able to compete with just about anyone on the defensive end. Chandler and Camby anchoring the defense means will always have a paint presence regardless of foul trouble for either. Their presence will also allow Felton, Brewer, JR and Shump to get up tight on their men, and play full denial on the wings since we have the anchors at the rim. The aforementioned guards are all good, to exceptional defenders and will be better with our frontcourt. I think, Bosh, coming from a team that just won a 'chip and knowing that the defensive side of the ball is where its at, see's that in us. A typical fans automatically thinks offense when looking at a roster, but a championship player, former player, or coach will look on the non-sportscenter side of the ball. Thats where our bread will be buttered, We have a coach now who showed us thats the way to go buying leading us to 18-6 down the stretch and avoiding back-to-back losses in that stretch because he prioritized defense first. Even with the injuries we won games against good teams because of the D.
Now with a healthy team, if we can commit on defense like we did down the stretch and there's no reason to think we cant with our current coach, and better defensive players, we will be in the mix with the top teams in the east. We have an identity now...Something we've lacked for quit some time.
