2013-2014 Official NBA Thread

[Al Bundy]

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/ey...4-nba-schedule

With the Schedule released today, I figured it would be a good time to start the thread.

The NBA released its 2013-2014 schedule on Tuesday in a televised special on NBATV alongside a release on NBA.com and its team websites.

The season kicks off Tuesday, October 29th as Miami hosts the Chicago Bulls in Derrick Rose's expected return to the court. Then it's the Battle of LA as the Lakers host the Clippers. It could be the return of Kobe Bryant from his Achilles injury he suffered last spring, and will be the regular season debut of Doc Rivers as the Clippers' newest head coach.

It's a massive gamble by the NBA, considering Rose's struggles returning from his ACL injury suffered in the 2012 playoffs and Bryant's more recent Achilles surgery. If those players were to miss the opening night, it's going to make for a very underwhelming opening night of basketball, regardless of the markets involved for ratings.

Opening week continues on Thursday with the Bulls hosting the Knicks in what is likely to be Rose's return to the United Center in the regular season. The Knicks will be on a back to back, opening the season on Wednesday vs. the Bucks. Thursday night the revamped Warriors visit the Clippers, who are clearly the hot team, with two national appearances in the first three days.

Opening week concludes Friday with the Nets' home opener vs. the Heat, followed by another Lakers home game, this time vs. the defending Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs.

On the NBA's biggest regular season day, Christmas Day, starts with the Nets hosting Chicago, followed by the scoring-champ rematch of Carmelo Anthony vs. Kevin Durant as the Thunder visit Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks. Then in the main event, the Heat play the Lakers at Staples Center. Dwight Howard joins the Christmas fun as the Rockets travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs. And in the night cap, the Clippers visit Oracle Arena to take on Steph Curry and the Warriors.

Monday, January 20th continues the NBA's tradition of making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a huge basketball event, with four games on the schedule. Brooklyn travels across the bridge to take on the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, followed by the Grizzlies hosting the Pelicans, the Lakers taking on the Bulls at the United Center, and the Pacers facing the Warriors in the bay to cap off the night.

The Lakers first meet Dwight Howard on November 13th in Houston, and again on January 14th. They first host Howard at Staples Center on February 19th, and again on April 8th.

The NBA Finals rematches occur on January 26th in Miami and March 6th in San Antonio. Will Gregg Popovich rest his starters? It's not a back to back, as the Spurs face Atlanta on the 24th, but it is in the middle of a three-game road trip.

Despite the departure of Dwight Howard, the Lakers keep the max number of nationally televised (non-NBA TV) games in the league at 25, tied with the Knicks and Heat. The Clippers have 21 nationally televised games, while the defending Western Champs, the Spurs, only have 15. The Bulls jump to 24 national games, with the league banking on Rose's return to carry audiences. The Thunder also feature on national TV 24 times.

Houston, with newly-signed Dwight Howard and James Harden, feature 20 games on national television, a pretty low number given the star power. The Mavericks won the NBA title in 2011, and now have just eight national TV appearances. The Warriors meanwhile jump to 17 games, while Eastern Conference finalist Indiana only appears 10 time next season. To put that in perspective, the Denver Nuggets appear 13 times.

The rest of the schedule is at the link.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by KC_Connection

I'm still not sure why the fact that the rest of the East sucks means that the Heat/Pacers are somehow worse than they were last year. It's pretty obvious they stand among the league's elite, they've taken no step back.

Not saying that. Im saying their records would be worse. They would still be good and definite contenders. Remember, the Rockets won their 2nd title as a 6 seed. If both were in the West, there's a good chance they could be starting the playoffs as the 5th and 6th seeds. Hard for me to believe they would be 1&2 like they are now.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by TEX

Not saying that. Im saying their records would be worse. They would still be good and definite contenders. Remember, the Rockets won their 2nd title as a 6 seed. If both were in the West, there's a good chance they could be starting the playoffs as the 5th and 6th seeds. Hard for me to believe they would be 1&2 like they are now.

I suspect they'd be 2nd/3rd or 3rd/4th in the West. They're better than the Clippers and Rockets.

Being in the East has allowed them both to coast all season (at least the Heat anyway, the Pacers had that great start where they played with intensity every game), so I wouldn't pay all that much attention to their record in comparison with some of the West teams. If they were in the West, they'd be required to play each and every game much harder just to ensure the postseason.

[MIAdragon]

Originally Posted by TEX

This.

The East blows anyway. Put both those teams in the West and this would just be a game between two playoff bound teams. No big deal.

Yea, no.

[mcaj22]

on paper...

Pacers Conf record: 35-9
that means against West: 17-11
project that by multiplying by 1.5: 25.5-16.5

Pacers would hover somewhere around the Houston/Clippers tier in the West

Heat Conf record: 28-14
that means against the West: 20-8
project that by multiplying by 1.5: 30-12

Heat would be right under the Spurs, dueling with the Thunder.

So yeah, Heat would still smash everyone in the West, Pacers would dip a bit. Still both really good teams.

aka

paper analysis supports KC Connections Opinion.

[SAUTO]

Bosh hits that shot at a third in the nba rate. 47.something percent. That's why they drew it up for him. LeBron didn't just "give it up because he didn't want to take it"
Posted via Mobile Device

[-King-]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

Bosh hits that shot at a third in the nba rate. 47.something percent. That's why they drew it up for him. LeBron didn't just "give it up because he didn't want to take it"
Posted via Mobile Device

Yeah I understand that. But in a situation such as that, I'd rather draw up a play for the player who is/will eventually be one of the 3 greatest players ever. Especially when that player has dominated the way Lebron was dominating yesterday and Bosh was as shifty as he was.
Posted via Mobile Device

[KevB]

Grizzlies came back from 16 down in the 3rd quarter to beat the Jazz on the road last night. It was basically a must win, and they put down the hammer the last 5 minutes. Mike Miller was a really big add for them, he's capable of hitting big shots in crunch time on the perimeter.

Grizz finish the season against the Suns and Mavs, which will likely be play in/out games for all three teams. None of those teams are going to be easy outs, but I can't imagine the Spurs or Thunder would be thrilled to see the Grizz in the first round. They'd most likely get through the Grizz, but they'd be worn down by the effort.

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

Id really like to see Harden win player of the month for March. Padding some stats against the Sixers would be nice.

26.5/6.7/1.7
50.8%
45.6%

Rockets 9-3.

But ****ing Durant and his 35ppg

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

Originally Posted by KevB

Grizzlies came back from 16 down in the 3rd quarter to beat the Jazz on the road last night. It was basically a must win, and they put down the hammer the last 5 minutes. Mike Miller was a really big add for them, he's capable of hitting big shots in crunch time on the perimeter.

Grizz finish the season against the Suns and Mavs, which will likely be play in/out games for all three teams. None of those teams are going to be easy outs, but I can't imagine the Spurs or Thunder would be thrilled to see the Grizz in the first round. They'd most likely get through the Grizz, but they'd be worn down by the effort.

Grizz are a nightmare. Rather the Rockets face GSW or Dallas. Obivously Portland would be ideal.

[GoChargers]

The Heat would still dominate in the West, but I highly doubt the Pacers would be anywhere near as good. You actually need some semblance of an offense to compete in the West and Indy's just doesn't stack up.

As for Memphis, I agree that the Spurs/OKC are probably not too pleased about facing them. Clipper fans know from experience how grueling a series against Memphis can be. OKC would most likely win, but would come out of it banged up and exhausted from the physicality that Memphis gets away with. Maybe the Spurs too, although they didn't have much trouble with them last year.

[mcaj22]

Spurs will sweep whoever they face in Round 1

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

Originally Posted by Rudy lost the toss

Id really like to see Harden win player of the month for March. Padding some stats against the Sixers would be nice.

26.5/6.7/1.7
50.8%
45.6%

Rockets 9-3.

But ****ing Durant and his 35ppg

26/10/10 through 3 quarters.

[GoChargers]

The Clippers are becoming Blake Griffin's team now. On a night where he struggled offensively, he still hit two huge shots late in the 4th to deliver the win and shut down Dirk down the stretch. It's been amazing to see him grow as a player and leader and shut his haters up.

[KC_Connection]

Originally Posted by GoChargers

The Clippers are becoming Blake Griffin's team now. On a night where he struggled offensively, he still hit two huge shots late in the 4th to deliver the win and shut down Dirk down the stretch. It's been amazing to see him grow as a player and leader and shut his haters up.

I've been impressed, but let's see what he (and that team) does in the playoffs. That will tell the real story about how they've progressed.

[PunkinDrublic]

Originally Posted by GoChargers

The Clippers are becoming Blake Griffin's team now. On a night where he struggled offensively, he still hit two huge shots late in the 4th to deliver the win and shut down Dirk down the stretch. It's been amazing to see him grow as a player and leader and shut his haters up.

Don't know much about the Clippers. I semi-follow the Mavs. But I gotta ask why is such journeyman nobody like Matt Barnes always running his mouth? I wish Shawn Marion would have ****ed him up. He's a dirty player who is only known because he was married to one of the whores on basketball wives.