[NotAJerry]

Carmelo?? Wow. I mean it happens and all but it's either Durant or lebron. Guy was high

I agree. I love Durants game and they are both head and shoulders above everyone else. I mean if you are starting a team and didn't get LeBron would you take Melo over Durant

I'd take a lot more than just LeBron and Durant over Melo. Chris Paul would definitely make the cut.

[lynchburgwildcats]

Carmelo would likely be somewhere in my top 10. Not sure where, probably on the lower half. HArd to find guys that can fill up the basket like him, what he doesn't do is much easier to fill with others.

[NotAJerry]

If Golden State figures out the right mix of players going forward, and actually learns how to finish out games, they could be a real force over the next several years. They're close right now and this playoff series could be a huge benefit for them even if they lose it.

[bballfan84]

Melo is a one of the best scorers in the game..however thats all he does is score. He doesnt play make and his D is subpar, Hes not really that great of a leader. I would prob find 10 better players to start a team with. Not in particular order and without any deep thought..

James
Durant
Westbrook
Kobe
Paul
Harden
Paul George
Irving
Curry
Howard

I could be reaching a little but I think as a franchise player Anthony is overrated.

[NotAJerry]

I'd drop Kobe (injury) and Howard (idiot) off that list, but those others are definite picks over Melo. I'd throw in a healthy Danny Granger as well.

[Purple Haize]

I'd drop Kobe (injury) and Howard (idiot) off that list, but those others are definite picks over Melo. I'd throw in a healthy Danny Granger as well.

I agree with Howard but Kobe when he's healthy is still tough

[lynchburgwildcats]

I'd throw in a healthy Danny Granger as well.

[thepostman]

can you imagine how good the Pacers could be if Danny Granger ever stayed healthy??

I guess same could be said of the Bulls with half their starting lineup out

[lynchburgwildcats]

can you imagine how good the Pacers could be if Danny Granger ever stayed healthy??

I guess same could be said of the Bulls with half their starting lineup out

Danny Granger is just another in the line of scorers who don't really do much of anything else, joining the likes of Rudy Gay and Danilo Gallinari at the SF position. Unless I just don't have any other scorers on my roster, for one season or one playoff series, I'd gladly take the likes of Shawn Marion, Andrei Kirilenko, Kawhi Leonard, Chandler Parsons, or Nicolas Batum over them.

[thepostman]

Fair enough but he is good enough to make a team that is good already to that next step to do something special which is what I would classify the pacers as.

[bballfan84]

i forgot to mention rose..healthy of course..and rondo..granger might be a little of a stretch..still a good player though

[RubberMallet]

the bulls still need another scorer. and for derek rose to not be a nancy.

[Purple Haize]

Deng would be key. Robinson is giving them great production from the point. Deng coming in on the wing and a tertiary ball handler would be the greatest help for them without reshuffling things too much

[RubberMallet]

deng doesn't provide enough scoring i don't think as a secondary scorer. (i'm speaking for next season moving forward). nate played himself out of a bulls contract next year. it was nice to see bellineli and butler kind of emerge during this time. i dont' think they'll be enormous factors but i can see butler being the 2guard next year. but i'd really like the shooting guard to average more than 12 pts a game.

[bballfan84]

you dont really have to if rose goes back to scoring 25, deng scoring 17, boozer scoring 17, and noah 10..and then you have all the other players producing 25..with their D they can win every night scoring that amount

[lynchburgwildcats]

i forgot to mention rose..healthy of course..and rondo..granger might be a little of a stretch..still a good player though

YEs, and somehow I forgot about Rondo, inexcusable on my part!

[lynchburgwildcats]

deng doesn't provide enough scoring i don't think as a secondary scorer. (i'm speaking for next season moving forward). nate played himself out of a bulls contract next year. it was nice to see bellineli and butler kind of emerge during this time. i dont' think they'll be enormous factors but i can see butler being the 2guard next year. but i'd really like the shooting guard to average more than 12 pts a game.

Tony Allen has only averaged double digits once in his career - 06-07 Celtics. I think Memphis is doing plenty well with a non-scorer at SG, and they don't have what you would call an elite scorer or a franchise player, either. Heck, their leading scorer was Zach Randolph at 15.4. With the Westbrook injury, would not surprise me one bit if the Grindhouse is hosting NBA Finals games.

The Bulls problem, when Rose is out, is that their top field goal attempter is Leon Deng and their best player isn't a go-to scorer. I really like Deng, but it's very, very rare for a team to do anything special in the playoffs when you can't put the ball in your best player's hands and tell him to go get you buckets in crunch time.

Memphis is almost in that same situation, but Zach Randolph can take over games with his scoring, he just isn't quite an elite scorer. Pacers in the same boat as Chicago, just look at how bad they struggled last night because they don't have a guy that can go get them buckets consistently. I still think the Pacers will be in the East finals though because I think they got a likable matchup.

Just look at all the other teams remaining. Miami has Bosh, LeBron, and Wade. OKC has Durant. Spurs have Parker, Duncan, and Ginobili when he's healthy. Golden State has Curry and on some nights Jack, Thompson, and Lee when he is healthy.

[NotAJerry]

i forgot to mention rose..healthy of course..and rondo..granger might be a little of a stretch..still a good player though

If Rose ever decides to play again, you're right.

You can keep Rondo. The Celtics played better without him and there have been rumors of him being a locker room cancer for a while now, including Ray Allen taking less money in Miami to get away from Rondo.

[Purple Haize]

i forgot to mention rose..healthy of course..and rondo..granger might be a little of a stretch..still a good player though

If Rose ever decides to play again, you're right.

You can keep Rondo. The Celtics played better without him and there have been rumors of him being a locker room cancer for a while now, including Ray Allen taking less money in Miami to get away from Rondo.

Never been a Rondo fan for that reason. Allen was a perfect fit in Boston but seems out of sorts in Miami, and don't think it's just age.

[RubberMallet]

you dont really have to if rose goes back to scoring 25, deng scoring 17, boozer scoring 17, and noah 10..and then you have all the other players producing 25..with their D they can win every night scoring that amount

those 3 guys point production goes down when he's in. thats natural progression of him taking more shots. and he wont' probably score 25 a game. nevermind that the health of all 3 of those guys is regularly in question. they play hurt constantly but that can only go so far.

last years team and the team before that had a chance at beating all but 1 team in the league before rose went down. i am now talking about trying to build a heat killer. we need another complimentary scorer to do that. can butler be that guy? its possible but unlikely.

[RubberMallet]

deng doesn't provide enough scoring i don't think as a secondary scorer. (i'm speaking for next season moving forward). nate played himself out of a bulls contract next year. it was nice to see bellineli and butler kind of emerge during this time. i dont' think they'll be enormous factors but i can see butler being the 2guard next year. but i'd really like the shooting guard to average more than 12 pts a game.

Tony Allen has only averaged double digits once in his career - 06-07 Celtics. I think Memphis is doing plenty well with a non-scorer at SG, and they don't have what you would call an elite scorer or a franchise player, either. Heck, their leading scorer was Zach Randolph at 15.4. With the Westbrook injury, would not surprise me one bit if the Grindhouse is hosting NBA Finals games.

The Bulls problem, when Rose is out, is that their top field goal attempter is Leon Deng and their best player isn't a go-to scorer. I really like Deng, but it's very, very rare for a team to do anything special in the playoffs when you can't put the ball in your best player's hands and tell him to go get you buckets in crunch time.

Memphis is almost in that same situation, but Zach Randolph can take over games with his scoring, he just isn't quite an elite scorer. Pacers in the same boat as Chicago, just look at how bad they struggled last night because they don't have a guy that can go get them buckets consistently. I still think the Pacers will be in the East finals though because I think they got a likable matchup.

Just look at all the other teams remaining. Miami has Bosh, LeBron, and Wade. OKC has Durant. Spurs have Parker, Duncan, and Ginobili when he's healthy. Golden State has Curry and on some nights Jack, Thompson, and Lee when he is healthy.

none of that matters. memphis isn't going to be beating the heat any time soon. we aren't talking about a team that can beat almost all of the teams in the league. we want a team that has a good chance of winning a 7 game series with the heat. if the bulls were a healthier squad i'd put more faith in them, but they aren't and won't be.

some of that changes perhaps with the cba and wade seems OOOOLD but miami i think will still be the team to beat for years to come.

[bballfan84]

I think Lebron ends up leaving after next year..just my own hunch though

[Purple Haize]

I think Lebron ends up leaving after next year..just my own hunch though

To go where?

[adam42381]

I think Lebron ends up leaving after next year..just my own hunch though

To go where?

Back to Cleveland to play with Kyrie Irving.

[Purple Haize]

I think Lebron ends up leaving after next year..just my own hunch though

To go where?

Back to Cleveland to play with Kyrie Irving.

I was thinking Charlotte to play for Jordan.