NBA, one word at a time

A new NBA season starting tonight, so chill the Cristal, cue the Ali G intros one more time and dig yourself our from under the avalanche of previews and photo-shoot brainwaves that arrived this week.

And mindful of that mound, a different direction here. Toward small. One-word answers, and little more. (And one more thing -- tomorrow we're going to throw open the blog to a free-for-all on the Raptors' upcoming season, so if you've got anything to say enter the comments and enter often. If you've got a question you want answered, send it along and I'll try).

Here's the panel:

Scott Carefoot, whose Raptorblog is an essential destination for anyone looking for independent and informed online Raptors comment -- hard to find, that combination.

Dave D'Alessandro (DD), among the league's most versatile and established observers -- his Nets blog alone is worth looking at, along with his Newark Star-Ledger and Sporting News columnizing.

Disillusioned Former NBA scribe (DFNS), who despite all evidence to the contrary has an interest in all things NBA -- oh, and happy birthday!

AP PHOTO

Shaq's Heat have a new look -- and are perhaps walkin' all the way to the finals.

Me. Because I'm here. (I had one more, a longtime Clippers fan, but he's not here, away on honeymoon in Italy. Poor guy, honeymooning in Italy instead of being here for this fun.)

Here we go (* -- check footnotes at bottom):

Yawn! Everybody agreed on the Spurs as NBA champion. It's sort of the free spot on the bingo card, as Dave Feschuk noted in today's Star (Feschuk picks the Heat, a noble try -- but if he really wanted to be contrary, why not go whole-hog and take the Cavs?).

NBA finalist:

Scott: Pacers

DD: Heat

DFNS: Heat

Me: Pistons

Rookie of the year:

Scott: Chris Paul, Hornets

DD: Danny Granger, Pacers

DFNS, me: No idea.

Raptors win total:

Scott: 30

DD: 21

DFNS: 22

Me: 28

First wardrobe violation:

Scott: Iverson

DD: Iverson

DFNS: Iverson

Me: Mark Cuban

Word association: LeBron James

Scott: Legend

DD: Perfection

DFNS: Doomed

Me: Boss

VINCE TALOTTA/TORONTO STAR

The Raptors are a young team.

Ron Artest

Scott: Taser

DD: Wingnut

DFNS: Scary

Me: Fire

Raptors

Scott: Disrespected

DD: Mismanaged

DFNS: Scarier

Me: Mild

Sam Mitchell

Scott: Learning

DD: Overmatched*

DFNS: Scariest

Me: Loud

Isiah Thomas

Scott: A.D.D.

DD: Well-dressed

DFNS: Slimy

Me: All-in

Steve Nash

Scott: Overrated*

DD: Pure

CP PHOTO

Suns will need a laying on of the hands from Steve Nash to keep from setting before Amare comes back.

DFNS: Badhair

Me: Angles

Jose Calderon

Scott: Anti-Rafer

DD: Joie de vivre

DFNS: Ole!

Me: Youneverknow

David Stern

Scott: Godfather

DD: Solomonic

DFNS: Small

Me: Imperial

Vince Carter

Scott: History

DD: Pyrotechnics

DFNS: Has-been

Me: Kid

Chris Bosh

Scott: Shoulders

DD: Upside

DFNS: Tired

Me: Man

FOOTNOTES:

From Scott: "That's right. I said Steve Nash is overrated. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy. But he wasn't the MVP last year. He wasn't even MVP of his own team. That was Amare Stoudemire. Nobody but me (and Mavericks fans, I presume) seemed to notice that Dirk Nowitzki had his best season after Nash left. Remember, it takes two people to make an assist. A healthy Amare will dunk on your crown no matter who passes it to him."

From DD: "Nets threw a 2-3 matchup at (Mitchell) last year, he had no zone offence in place, and Nets had something like an 85-per cent success rate. so he goes on the postgame and blames his players for lousy execution. Postgame was piped into the Nets' coaches office, they hear him passing the buck, and they laughed their asses off."

Comments

[Willsway]

We have a real basketball IQ in the house.
Scott was dead on the money, with every response.

Nash is overated, In the western conference I would rate Amare, Ginobli, Ray Allen and Duncan more deserving.

[cy]

Ray Allen? Ginobili?
Will, stop it, you're killin' me.

[Selam Yohannes]

Scott,
Clearly you are crazy. Amare IS amazing. So is Dirk. But you seem to forget that both of their teams were at best ok before Nash got there. Both team blew up WHEN he got there. Both Dirk and Amare will continue to improve. But add Nash and I am telling you that there stock go through the roof. Was anyone talking of Amare as potential MVP before Nash got there? So clearly you know more than everyone else. Now if you had said Shaq as MVP, I could have bought your argument.

[Scott Carefoot]

Chris and Willsway: Thanks for the props.

Selam: Nash is unquestionably the best offensive point guard in the league. But Nowitzki and Amare Stoudemire are studs on their own. You say Nash made them better. I say they did as much to make him look good as he did for them.

Nash has played on good teams and knows how to get the most out of his teammates. He's an amazing and entertaining player and I love that he's a proud Canadian.

Nevertheless, if I had a vote in last year's MVP award, he would have finished third on my ballot - after Garnett (my choice for MVP) and Amare. Everyone loves the guy who helps a good team get great. The guy who takes a horrible team and makes them decent (KG) gets no respect...except from me.

[Richard]

Day 1: From an overall NBA stand point a nice way to start off the season nicely.

Two O/T games, 1 of which was double O/T with the tough loss for Suns over Mav.'s - DAMN, too bad! but I Won't say more than that.
Bucks also winning too. Surprising I think. Looking at the line. Nice double-double by TJ Ford there and a nice 1st game for the No.1 pick, A Bogut with the almost double-double and 3 blk. But ya gotta give the game ball to Bucks's Redd there with the 30pts including the game tying 3 pointer with a sec to spare to send it to O/T. Tough though for A.I. and Webber both with 30+ pts in the O/T loss. They got killed on the boards too!!

Yer right on the big game. A 26 pt drubbing by the Hornets over Kings? What’s this?!?! Good thing no betting. I would've lost. Nice overall game by Hornets. They killed Kings stat-wise in FG's%, rebounds and the biggie, fast-break points.

And that Spurs win as well...yawnnnnn..... Question: what did happen to Nene.

NBA - Day 2: some quick thoughts. Umm. Any chances Hornets and Bucks go up 2 – 0 after tonight’s games that they play? I ask 'cuz I like the Bucks this year. They look look paper in light of some naysayers. Hornets, new home or not or displaced or whatever you wanna call it they killed last night. Lots of passion in Oaklahoma City for a first game.

Mav’s looks like they may do that over Jazz if they’re not too tired after last nite. Then again Jazz can't be too much of a pushover at home.

The other games tonight, we'll have to wait and see. I just found this blog site and as much as i would like to keep typing i'm just too tired of my 10+hrs sitting here at work. Enjoy the games tonight folk. Catch youse on the rebound tomorrow.