Personally, I wouldn't mind trying Kirk at SG and have little Nate Robinson start a couple preseason games at the point. Rip can go kick a brick.

Starters in basketball really don't matter but its good for Rip to start the game to try to get a feel for his shot. If he is hitting them you can leave him out there a bit if he's not then its time to go get Bellini off the bench.

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BELL-I-NELL-I

clap clap clapclapclap

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I'll take bad NBA thoughts for $800, Alex.

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Fixed!

that lineup is nauseating. hopefully they wind up in the lottery.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

It's the same lineup they would have unless Rose was in there. They will probably still win 45ish games, and end up with a 4th-5th seed. Besides the Heat, nobody in the East is poised to make any kind of serious run. Here's how I see the East ranked:

1. Miami
2. Indiana
3. Boston
4. Nets
5. Bulls
6. 76ers
7. Knicks
8. Hawks

There's no one who was in the lottery last season besides the Nets that is any threat to make the playoffs. Orlando is the obvious choice to tumble to the bottom of the conference, and everyone else should stay in mediocrity.

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I don't know if I can handle terrible basketball thoughts this early in October.

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I'd rather see the Bulls bottom out than finish sixth and lose to the team that loses to the team that loses to the Heat. What a waste. I mean, I guess it'll be nice to watch Kirk Hinrich and some foreigners grind their way through the schedule with their screamy defense-first coach, and I'll watch more of it than usual because the NHL season is cancelled, and OHHHH CRAP IT'S EIGHT YEARS AGO WHERE HAVE OUR LIVES GONE

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Bulls will make it out of the first round of the playoffs. They aren't bad by any measure.

I agree that the Sixers should finish top 4 but they'll go as Bynum goes so that's a tough one to predict. I wouldn't be shocked if Miami doesn't win the East, although they are obviously a big favorite to do so.

I don't want to see any Nate Robinson at all. I have no idea why we signed him. I'd like to see as much of Teague and Bellinelli as possible.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I don't think the Bulls will be that bad either while Derrick is recovering from a torn ACL. In fact, this may seem absurd, but because their division isn't all that good even with Rose sidelined, the Bulls can still win the Central Division...but that's about it.

I'd like to see them bottom out also but there's virtually no chance of them missing the playoffs this year.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

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Indiana is probably winning the division. They won't do so decisively, maybe 45, 46 wins, but their time is coming, and I'll take a pretty good Pacers team over an enfeebled Bulls team.

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There's no doubt that LeBron James and the Heat are the prohibitive favorites in the Eastern Conference. I'm not sure who is the second best team in the conference even though the Celtics are already talking the talk.

Nate Robinson is 3 feet tall and can windmill-dunk. Anyone who says they don't want to see that is dumb.

That's the ONLY team that challenges the Bulls for the Central...Indiana, that is. Cleveland? No. Detroit? Try again. Milwaukee? Are you kidding me?!

Finally someone in here who understands basketball!!!

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Knicks can do it if they strategically rest their tired old bodies. The 76ers might surge. Probably just Boston, though. God, the East sucks again.

I wouldn't mind it if the Bucks went on another run. Milwaukee as an NBA market is on life support. That you can go to the same old Bradley Center for a Marquette game and pay less money to have more fun has rendered the Bucks all but meaningless.

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I mean, what the hell else are we gonna watch? Derrick Rose doing calf-raises on one leg? No thanks.

Start Nate Robinson, bring back Scottie Pippen, sign Antoine Walker, lower beer sales and watch the magic unfold.

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

I'm looking forward to Bulls BB. Hopefully a few of the new acquisitions pan out. If they can finish 4-5th, they have a shot at doing something in the playoffs if Rose comes back and is good but that's asking alot of course.

Hopefully Wade goes down or maybe Miami makes it to the Finals and then get spanked by Kobe, Nash, Howard et al.

Milwaukee isn't really a big enough city to have actual sports teams. Should just go the minor league route and contract the Brewers and Bucks.

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Once upon a time, the Bucks actually mattered up in Milwaukee...a long, long time ago. These days, not so much.

Phil, where did we all go wrong?

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

I don't believe you.

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Milwaukee can hack it in the majors because it used to be more important than it is now (having been passed by cities no one should ever have to care about, like Raleigh), and because Wisconsin has so many good sports fans per capita. Gotta say, though, the Bucks are really testing their base.

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The Indiana Pacers will win 60 games this year.

Discuss.

I actually dig Milwaukee. It's better than Indianapolis!

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