Whose your sleeper this year?????

[Arizona's Finest]

Alright we are beginning to exhaust every Suns topic prior to the season starting (Unless someone wants to get a “Whats Amare’s favorite Pizza topping?” thread going) So lets turn our attention projections to the rest of the NBA. Tell me a team that is not getting much publicity or a team that is getting a lot of publicity but will exceed expectations. So for example the Warriors making the playoffs would not be considered a “sleeper” pick but the Warriors winning it all would definitely be. I’m thinking a couple teams are going to be much better than people think ( I really like that Houston team if Alston reverts back to his form in Miami ) and I have a team in mind myself to make a big comeback this year.

The Utah Jazz

At the onset of last year, The Suns and the Jazz were w/o a doubt the toast of the NBA. I remember at one point thinking to myself that Utah had a better chance of maintaing the pace rather than the Suns because I respect Jerry Sloan so much and I was still unsure of D’Antoni. But while the suns kept winning, the Jazz suffered an injury to the one player they could not afford to lose. AK-47. I will make the argument that guy is one of the ten best players in the NBA, especially in terms of worth to his team.

Team MVP:
Kirilenko

Surprise Player:
Kris Humphries

Best Player off the bench:
Devin Brown

Best Newcomer:
Deron Williams

Final record:
50-32

2nd in the Midwest division (behind the Nugs)

6th seed in the Western Conference

Against the Suns (2-2) I’m assuming they play 4 times per the usual

So here is what I see happening over the course of the season. (Health permitting):

Kirilenko will return to form and be given outside MVP consideration at the end of the year. They will play exceptional defense and I think they are one of the teams that actually match up with the Suns the best. I think Deron Willams has a lot of heart (as he displayed in the tournament against UA or as I like to call it “the worst game I have ever witnessed” and while he will not be ROY, I think he will be the most effective of the rookie PG’s (wins wise, not stats wise) IMO their bench is underrated as I think Kris Humphries can really play and Devin Brown was under utilized in SA. I think Boozer will have a good year (18 and 11) and Collins, Okur, and Ostertag will be serviceable players in the middle. Giricek is nothing to write home about but I think Matt Harpring is as underrated a shooter as there is in the NBA and I think that Sloan will get the most out of these guys.


Obviously this is going out on a limb, but it makes sense in my head. Anyone else want to play??

 

[scotsman13]

golden state is my surprize team. i think they will be a shciking good team.

 

[goldseraph]

I'm not so optomistic about Utah. Okur played poorly in Eurobasket this year, and was mediocre and/or injured much of last season. I also wonder about Kirilenko's ability to hold up. They do not have a go-to dominant player on offense, and they also have a bench of very young, inexperienced players. They will be lucky to grab the 8th seed.

My sleeper is Golden State also, if Baron Davis can stay healthy for the most part. Another sleeper is the Clippers. Again, health is the issue.
If they can build chemistry with a starting five of Cassell, Mobley, Maggette, Brand and Kaman, they could be very potent offensively. Livingston, Wilcox, and Rebraca are a decent bench. I could see the Clips taking 7th or 8th in a best case scenario.

 

[Mainstreet]

Golden State is my sleeper team.

If Baron Davis stays healthy, this team can flat out beat anybody. They played exceptional basketball towards the end of last year. They are a very deep and talented team. I just hope they somehow implode.

Baron Davis is the key for this team at PG, much like Nash is to Phoenix.

 

[Amare32]

GS for me but thats if Biddy can stay heathly which these days is a big IF. But he had a huge impact on the warriors last year. Fun team to watch.

 

[Yuma]

My sleeper is whatever team meets Phoenix in the Finals!

We'll put them in a sleeper hold for our first title!

 

[devilalum]

GS for me but thats if Biddy can stay heathly which these days is a big IF. But he had a huge impact on the warriors last year. Fun team to watch.

Bibby plays for Sactown.

If you meant Davis I agree.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Bibby plays for Sactown.

If you meant Davis I agree.

Davis is often referred to as BDiddy. I guess Biddy could be a nickname too.

 

[devilalum]

Davis is often referred to as BDiddy. I guess Biddy could be a nickname too.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

I was pointing out that he was talking about Baron Davis, not Bibby. Notice that he said if Biddy is healthy.

Just wanted to clear it up

 

[Chris_Sanders]

My sleeper team is the Knicks. They have a lot of good talent right now.

I think Utah will be terrible again. They didn't improve really at all and everyone else did.

 

[nathan]

My sleeper team is the Knicks. They have a lot of good talent right now.

I think Utah will be terrible again. They didn't improve really at all and everyone else did.

The Knicks have lots of pieces, but not the kind I would want to build a team around. Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford are the quintessential high scoring players on bad teams.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

The Knicks have lots of pieces, but not the kind I would want to build a team around. Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford are the quintessential high scoring players on bad teams.

I hope Marbury and Q light up the east. Both were really fun to watch as Suns.

 

[George O'Brien]

I'd say GS is the most likely "sleeper" almost to the point I'm not sure they qualify as a sleeper any more.

 

[PhxGametime]

The Hawks? bwahahaha


The Jazz maybe next year, as Deron Williams matures but I do think the Team could struggle his Rookie Year... the Warriors possibly, if Davis remains healthy and Diogu could very well be Rookie of Year but I believe that Team needs some more defenders (Diogu, Cabarkapa, Dunleavy, Murphy, etc. - ouch)...


I'm going to pick the 76ers, I personally don't even know their Roster well but Iguodala, Dalembert, Hunter, Green, Salmons (still?), etc. are excellent role players to fit in with Iverson... and I'm hoping Herve Lamizana makes Roster (okay just looked at Roster)... it all depends on Webber, I suppose...


No Team, has a shot against the Suns though

 

[Ollie]

I'd go with the Blazers, if 2 players or less go in jail or get killed during the season.

I think that Mc Millan is able to move their asses and to give them a real game system (well at least a kind of run and gun like the Suns).

They are loaded with talent at all positions, their young players starts to get experienced (Telfair, Outlaw...), they had a good draft and they are healthy (Randolph, Khryapa who is a big sleeper for MIP).