NBA Season to Open ... Ben Ball Warriors All Over The League
by Achilles on Oct 28, 2008 12:13 PM PDT
in Basketball
33 comments
Not sure how many Bruins Nation readers are NBA fans, but ...
Achilles is definitely an NBA fan.
I don't have a favorite team really, but I do watch games all the time. I root for teams that have players I like, but mostly I just like to watch the best players in the world play basketball.
I'm in SoCal, so I see the Lakers, mostly, and the Clippers sometimes. But I look at TNT (love Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller, too), ESPN and even NBA Channel sometimes.
It's even better now that there are so many UCLA guys in the league, many from the Ben Howland era.
With that in mind, I'm wondering what NBA teams you plan to follow this year, that you wouldn't ordinarily follow. (See, I'm trying to figure a way around all the Lakers fans just putting Lakers, even though they are following them because they are Lakers fans, not Jordan Farmar/Trevor Ariza fans.)
Just answer the way you want -- the poll isn't scientific or anything -- we're just curious.
Feel free to add any thoughts in the comments below.
(BTW -- Do you think that Luc and Gad ever sit around talking about the food at Ackerman or anything like that? It's weird -- their UCLA era were so different and so far apart, it's like they played for different programs. Same with Russell and Earl, I guess.)
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Kevin Love
I wish him 20 points, 10 boards and 10 assists a game, a 15 year Hall of Fame career, and fat contracts througout.
And if he’s with Minnesota, I hope they go 0-82 each year, Kevin McHale piece of crap Celtics double agent.
No, I’m not bitter.
by Barnes2JJ on Oct 28, 2008 12:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I like that
Since I have K-Love on my fantasy team, I’ll take a triple-double a night. :)
by norcald503 on Oct 28, 2008 7:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Love The Game
So I’ll watch Westbrook playing with Durant and the Thunder, even though I still mourn for my Sonics…
(But I’ll also watch KL and the ’wolves, as always the Lakers, (especially with JF getting more and more minutes), and AA getting more minutes with the Pistons, too.)
P.S., I went to see Portland play here at the Sprint Center—man they are fun to watch, with Oden and Bayless.
Love My Bruins
by Bruingirl83 on Oct 28, 2008 12:53 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
You left out a category
I would have voted for “Even though there are Bruins all over the NBA, I won’t watch it because it’s not a particularly interesting brand of basketball, and if I want to watch guys do acrobatic moves, I can watch something else, and the fact of the matter is that the NBA is, to me, utterly boring.”
Or something like that. I probably will never see another former Bruin play B-ball again. The NBA just doesn’t move me.
by Fox 71 on Oct 28, 2008 12:56 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
We could debate this ...
but it wouldn’t get us anywhere.
Personally, I don’t see how anyone who loves basketball could say last year’s NBA Finals wasn’t great basketball — even Lakers fans who are hurting would admit it.
In fact, the playoffs last year were great from end to end.
I admit I’d rather watch the Bruins any day of the week over the NBA, but that’s because of a passionate rooting interest. And I watch lots of other games, too. But I don’t follow the idea that a game between North Carolina State and Wake Forest is more interesting than a game between the Spurs and Hornets. Personally, I like watching Chris Paul duel Tony Parker.
But — respectfully — to each his own.
Go Bruins
by Achilles on Oct 28, 2008 1:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fox,
As A. says, to each his own, but…
…with CBH at the helm, I foresee a time when there will be so many terrific former Bruin stars playing in the NBA, you won’t be able to resist taking a peek. ;-)
Love My Bruins
by Bruingirl83 on Oct 28, 2008 2:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm going to have to go with Fox on this one
Because when it comes down to it, I prefer football and baseball over basketball. Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of our strong basketball tradition and I loved the Showtime Lakers as much as any other kid my age who was growing up in the 80s, but I don’t get any kick out of NBA basketball today.
I wish all the Bruins in the NBA long and successful careers, but I probably won’t follow them as intently as I do MJD. However, I do reserve the right to change my mind if CBH’s warriors make a significant mark in the NBA.
by bruinbabe2000 on Oct 28, 2008 2:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
What's a Thunder? ;)
I’m a big fan of Matt Barnes, one of the bright spots of the Lavin years, and he did well while he was with Golden State.
Other than that, it is all about the Lakers
A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden
by MexiBruin on Oct 28, 2008 12:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Not Sure...
(We thought they’d be the “Clay-Eaters.”) That’s sour grapes, I know. It’s just that OKC doesn’t deserve to have my Sonics.
Love My Bruins
by Bruingirl83 on Oct 28, 2008 2:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Clay-Eaters would be a better name
Thunder is just a horrible horrible name. I’m generally not a fan of names that have no plural form (Heat, Magic) but at least they are unique to the region.
by kidro2001 on Oct 28, 2008 2:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You forgot the Bucks with Dan Gadzurik. lol.
by Deepcut on Oct 28, 2008 1:16 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Westbrook just dunked on you
Looking forward to Westbrook having some success down in OKC.
by apbruin on Oct 28, 2008 1:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
The best UCLA player in the league was Reggie Miller, but now that he is retired, it is definitely Baron Davis. I like to see if Trevor Ariza or Jordan Farmar are doing well, but they are off the bench for now. I hope Jordan gets his act together and makes the grade atPG at some point in the future. Interestingly, Earl Watson has started to put up a nice line recently. But for pure electricity and entertainment value, it has to be Baron Davis.
by Deepcut on Oct 28, 2008 1:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
This is the problem right there!
Too many teams and too many games! Stupid music blaring at every stadium, sound effects DURING the game, it is so incredibly annoying, unless you like the show value. I don’t, I fell asleep at the two musicals I have ever gone to see. Add in endless timeouts and whiny show-off players, I just can’t take it anymore. The last time I watched the NBA was when Shaq and Kobe won their last championship…
Be that as it may, I will check in on the Bruins in the league, though actually watching a game won’t be a priority.
by tasser10 on Oct 28, 2008 2:33 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Well ...
too many teams and too many games?
How many college teams are there and how many games does ESPN/FOX/Prime Ticket/ABC/CBS show?
Too each his own …
Go Bruins
by Achilles on Oct 28, 2008 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I hope you know
I’m not attacking you A. Just explaining myself, having a discussion. I wish I could get into it again, because I love the sport, but I think all the things that are ancillary to the game have turned me off a bit…
Regardless, that was a fun poll and I will be checking in on those guys! I didn’t mean for it to become a dissertation on the merits of the NBA!
by tasser10 on Oct 28, 2008 3:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
No worries at all ...
I didn’t feel attacked at all.
Just talkin’
Go Bruins
by Achilles on Oct 28, 2008 3:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was at the CBB Arena in Ontario this past Friday to see the Lakers and OKC Thunder
It was the first event held in this brand new arena in Ontario, CA. To see Farmar, Ariza, EWatson, and RWestbrook on the floor at the same time was a thing of beauty. Farmar, Ariza, and Westbrook all made highlight plays – Earl was his typical steady self.
Great PR for CBH and UCLA basketball. Go Bruins!
by kkucla on Oct 28, 2008 3:05 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Just so you all know ...
I do understand that some people who love college basketball or UCLA basketball don’t like NBA basketball.
My sense is that they are die hard UCLA fans who love UCLA basketball and by extension they watch college basketball. And there is something to be said about the vibe at a college basketball game. I mean, I love college basketball.
Where I get lost is when people start to criticize NBA basketball as bad or boring basketball. To me, the NBA aggregates the best players in the college game — adds in the best of the best from other countries — and has them compete. The talent level is ridiculous in the NBA — only the best of the best of the best college players make it in the league.
The NBA’s problem, to me, is that the season lasts for so many months that there is sort of a lull. From that standpoint, I agree with the poster who said there are too many games. There are so many games, that no one game is special and that hurts the sport, IMO.
I would suggest to those who haven’t watched for a while that the league is better than it was just a few years back. Next time you chance upon the New Orleans Hornets or the Utah Jazz — just do me a favor and give Chris Paul or Deron Williams a chance. Or check out how well the Spurs play the game or watch Dwight Howard in Orlando. I’m just saying — if you give it a chance — you might find it is better than you thought it was.
Go Bruins
by Achilles on Oct 28, 2008 3:09 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I agree with you
There is no doubt that the talent level in the NBA is ridiculous, just sick. Those guys are incredible athletes and amazing to watch.
For me, it’s just that I can’t get attached to any team in the NBA anymore. That probably bothers me more than the random matchups from random teams that are shoved down our throat during the week. Players are here one year, gone the next, and so are coaches, but that’s just the way it goes in the pros these days. Mostly, I don’t feel any allegiance and even less passion, and I question a lot of players’ motivation. The games last forever and are constantly interrupted by commercials and timeouts.
I say there are too many teams because to me that dilutes the talent (somewhat) on each team, so what ends up happening is the minute one player gets very good on a bad team, he bolts for a better team for a chance to win. If there were fewer teams, there would be better players on each team and they would be more likely to keep playing together rather than (understandably) becoming mercenaries. Finally, I can’t stand to watch millionaires whine like babies to the referees, the press and whoever wants to listen. And I’m not impressed when anyone taller than 6’4" dunks and feels the need to show off about it (I’m on my way to geezerdom!).
Believe me I wish I could get jazzed up about it, but it’s been tough the last few years. Maybe the new Bruins on the scene will change that for me. I am definitely curious to watch KLove and Westbrook to see how they do…but I may not take in a whole game! :)
by tasser10 on Oct 28, 2008 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I suppose they just make it look too easy
Just about everyone on the planet has shot a basketball at one time or another, and we know it’s not easy. These guys, once they get to be pros, can run really really fast while dribbling the ball between their legs, and then dunk even though they’re only 5’11". They all look like they don’t feel that they have to obey the law of gravity.
I don’t know what the game is called where the guys jump on trampolines and apparently aren’t required to dribble. That’s what the NBA looks like to me.
Also, I think there’s more passion in the college game. You have to prove you team’s merit in a much more compressed time frame, and then it’s a single elimination tournament. In the NBA (and also to a lesser extent in the other pro sports), everyone makes the playoffs or so it seems, and theyre are many, many playoff series. The college game seems more exciting to me.
I concede that I will not make any converts with this stream of consciousness. Maybe also I am still bummed out that Bill Russell always got the better of Elgin Baylor way back in the olden days.
P.S. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Baron Davis play. I assume that some of the smart people can post some of his highlights. I am intrigued that so many people think so highly of his skills, so if someone posts them, I’ll watch them.
by Fox 71 on Oct 28, 2008 6:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Baron in the best uniform he ever wore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPD9Rp_e0gY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdvEMNCQGlk
(And yes, he was called for charging on this one…not that anyone seemed to care)
by Tydides on Oct 28, 2008 7:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Can I vote for more than one?
I’m looking forward to the following:
Davis back home makes for a great story, the human-highlight-reel-Westbrook will carry our name into the middle-west, Kevin Love (if I recall) being the second UCLA big to end up in Minn. the first being Kareem, and let’s see how the Lakers do with Farmar (Ariza, ehhh, whatever).
Victory or until next year!
by ncrpz2 on Oct 28, 2008 3:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Anyone notice at the Laker-Thunder game
There were four Bruins but none of them play together at UCLA even though three played under Howland. Ariza played only Howland’s first year. Farmar was there for year two and three. Westbrook was year four and five.
by Gen2Bruin1987 on Oct 28, 2008 3:52 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I was watching on TV
I kept going “oh no Bruin on Bruin violence please!”
It would have been fun to watched Ariza and Farmar play Watson and Westbrook 2 on 2… That’s what was going on in my mind.
I tried to watch the Bucks and the TWolves on one of my random FSN’s but the game was blacked out. Boo.
by freesia39 on Oct 28, 2008 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Watching Farmar and Westbrook go at it
during the preseason games had me absolutely giddy. John Ireland did color commentary on how Westbrook almost wasn’t a Bruin until a scholarship opened up when “someone” decided to leave early. He did neglect to mention that that “someone” was the guy Westbrook was squaring up against that night though.
by Tydides on Oct 28, 2008 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I've said this many times over the past few years
but the NBA is inherently more fun to watch when it’s stacked with Bruins and while predicting that lots of Bruins would be in the league isn’t prophetic as much as it was glaringly obvious, I’m still excited as ever at the prospect of being able to watch a Bruin on any given night during the season. The way things are going (Collison, Holiday, et al. waiting in the wings), this dream may be a reality sooner rather than later. Howland era Bruins are already disproportionately represented in the league with Farmar, Ariza, Luc, KLove, Hollins, AA, and Westbrook. That’s 7 guys in 5 years and CBH’s recruiting classes have only gotten stronger. Combine that with top notch coaching and you’ve got a powerhouse program AND a pipeline to the league. Success begets success. Thank God for Ben Howland.
by Tydides on Oct 28, 2008 4:31 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Touch choices
I will try to keep track of the Lakers but needless to say I will do what I can to keep any eye on box scores for AA, RW and LRMAM.
by Nestor on Oct 28, 2008 4:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
good starts for everyone today
Most “surprising” is LRMAM – 26 minutes, 6 pts, 2 orebs, 2 steals & 1 block (really filling up that stat sheet like he did at UCLA). Joe Alexander, the bucs 1st round pick (who, just like luc is a 6’8" 230 SF) picked up a DNP-CD. I won’t be too surprised to see Moute play a big role in his team very soon.
JF – 23 minutes, 9pts, 6assists, 6 boards
TA – 24 mins, 11 pts, 2 boards, 2 blocks, 1 steal, 1 assist
by sfatoo on Oct 29, 2008 2:05 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
This was a tough poll
I picked KL because he’s just fun to watch, but as soon as I clicked on it, I wanted to take it back and pick Westbrook, or Afflalo. But then I thought, I really only watch laker games on a regular basis. But then again, Baron is in LA and he’s one of my all-time favorites. Dude… I just don’t know.
by UCLAbruin920 on Oct 31, 2008 12:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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