Hello ISBA and welcome to the newest edition of the Weekly Roundtable. The OA is over a week old and plenty of storylines are emerging. Joining me on the Roundtable today are the usual suspects, Ante and Bounce. We have six topics to cover this week so let's get started.


The roundtable trio chatting it up Tuesday at a BBC studio in London

1. Toronto is currently #1 in the Eastern Conference standings. Will they be a top 6 seed in the playoffs?

Ante: I saw their schedule. And I want to say yes. But I say no. I saw their games where they played human coaches. And I saw blowouts, blowout loss vs Nets and Celtics etc. You at least need to be competitive at some point. That's too much to swallow, sorry Sukan but 7th or 8th seed is the realistic option for the Raptors. I think 95% of upcoming Slaptors games are against human coaches. So if they can go at least around 45-50% of wins they make it as a top 6 seed. But I doubt they can do that. Prove me wrong I guess.

Bounce: I don't think so. There are Miami, Boston, New York, Chicago, Brooklyn as top 5 in whatever order, and fighting for the 6th spot are Toronto, Philadelphia and Indiana. The loss Raptors suffered at the hand of CPU Jazz could be a costly one if other teams win their CPU games.

Bryan: The Raptors are leaking oil in a major way right now but they still have plenty of opportunities for wins. Plus they will get a few sim wins here and there. Top 6 seems unrealistic unless they turn it around in human games. Philly is hot and Indiana is coming on strong too. They will make the playoffs but I would say 7th or 8th seed.


2. What's the best trade you've seen so far this season

Bounce: Millsap for Kardashian trade. With this trade the Nets got the whole starting five rated over 80. Other than the Lakers five this is the most impressive starting lineup in the whole league. And they got the ghost of Jamaal Tinsley as well.

Bryan: The Millsap trade was nice but I think LaMarcus Aldridge to Philly has more of an impact. If you look at the stats LMA has been on a tear for the 76ers and Portland got Bynum to sign an extension, which makes them attractive for a human coach to take them over one day with Bynum and Lillard. It will be interesting to see if Bosh is moved before the deadline.

Ante: Millsap going to New Jersey, afterwards the Jazz coach quiting is by far. No discussion.


3. Fact or Fiction: Either Miami, Boston, or the Lakers will win it all

Bounce: Fact. I'd be shocked to see all of them miss on the title.

Ante: Well fact. But I won't count out the Nuggets, Craxiors, and Nets and Craxers and Knicks if they get hot in the playoffs. But Lakers aren't in great shape now, but I assure you they will be in the playoffs.

Bryan: This is fact. I wouldn't fall out of my chair if GSW beat the Lakers in 3 game series in the playoffs but I'd be pretty surprised if anyone in the East beat Boston or Miami in a series.


4. Outside of the elite teams mentioned above, who is the most likely to make a run?

Bryan: Golden State seems to be playing the best of the rest. They have a good inside-outside game. Denver could make a run but they need to stop relying on Lawson for everything. Minnesota has been quiet since he was called out but he's got the talent. The Bulls have been treading water lately but I consider them a fringe contender.

Ante: Nuggets and Craxers. The reason I say that is because those two teams have that mindset. Craxiors still need to prove that they will play the playoffs like in the season = tough defense and quick hitter off screen offense, which I really admire, Dexy is doing exceptionally well. The Nets will simply breakdown if any team in the playoffs brings their A+ game if and I say IF the Nets bring their A+ game too (which I know they can and can be lethal) and stop looking for something to blame they are better than all these teams mentioned. So the point is the Nuggets and the Craxers are a major scare, Craxiors and Nets are too if they do those things I mentioned. But I really thing the Nuggets will go to the Western Conference Finals and meet the Lakers.

Bounce: Golden State, they are second in West and thanks to shooters can outgun any team, no matter how many 90 rated players that team may have. And Knicks in the East, they are too kind for my liking, but with a bit more aggression in their game they would be the second favorites to win the title, behind Miami.


5. Your MVP at this point of the season would be.....?

Bounce: LeBron James, best player in the league on the best team in the league. Second league leading scorer, 8th in assists. Clutch. No one is even close to him.

Bryan: Kyle Lowry....ok ok I will say LeBron too. The guy is a beast and is unstoppable. If you're lucky you can slow him down and hold him to 20 pts, 5 rebs, and 5 asts. If you piss him off he will drop 39 on your ass. Or just give the MVP to one of the Celtics just because.

Ante: Nobody. Nobody yet, nobody showed everything. LeBron lost some key games, Celtics have great players but they're more of a team so no. Royce well, that's a story which I don't wanna bring up for basketball reasons. Deron Williams is there in the top 5. Stephen Curry is top 3 for sure. Melo fell down quickly as I predicted in #R2MVP. Howard and Kobe struggling to win games. Lamarcus just began to win games in Philly. So no clear cut favorite so far. I don't wanna mention Lowry nor Ross because of the inflated CPU record.


6. Fact or Fiction: Stat padding should be frowned upon

Bounce: No, it shouldn't. Everyone does it, no matter whether they admit it or not. How can you frown upon something that every single team does? Also stat padding offers those reward points for making All Star and All NBA teams, so there's a reward for the hard work

Ante: I don't care, I can see it and smell it and in the MVP list that's exposed and it really doesn't matter.CPU stat padding is really not hard to see.

Bryan: Frowned upon is strong but I think it's kinda funny when people do it. As if we're suppose to be impressed by the inflated stats or something. Coaches have the freedom to do just about anything against the CPU so it's all good but I understand why people get annoyed by it.
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Well everybody, that will do it for this edition of the Weekly Roundtable. For those of you who are playing a lot of games and being active, thank you for your dedication and let's have a good week.

#NotMyWords

#KyleLowryMVP

I still find it funny how Miami is the best team...No disrespect to anyone, but they lost too many "winnable" games to be that...I think Vince thinks like this too, but that's just mine opinion...I don't say my team is to beat, because I lost "winnable" games in the beginning too...I still think there's no team to beat yet...But w/e...

Quote :

For those of you who are playing a lot of games and being active, thank you for your dedication and let's have a good week.

I hope some members read exactly this ^^

Great read...

Great read Bryan. Good job guys.

I love the disrespect that always comes out of Ante regarding LeBron/Miami. :lbj4: :tmac: :lbj2:

Nah, no disrespcet, I respect you a lot, it's just mine opinion, if you gonna value it fine, if you won't fine either way...

Ante, I see what you mean about Miami but I can only speak from experience and Vince didn't go hard against me. I tried to win that game more than he did IMO. I would estimate he went about 85 percent against me. Vince knows the end game isn't beating the Nets in some random Friday night game in South Beach.

When the chips are on the table the Heat will be an extremely tough out.

Great read..I agree with pretty much everything in the article

P.S. Bryan when will you be available to play our game ?

mulac wrote:

Great read..I agree with pretty much everything in the article

P.S. Bryan when will you be available to play our game ?

We can play today in 1.5-2 hours if you like. I'll be around.

If im online send me a msg.

I didn't go hard vs you, if I went hard, you would deleted me on friends list in the 1st quarter and reported me on PSN so I never ever log on to psn lol...I was playing bench like you so...

Only times I went hard was vs miami in Boston and vs LA in LA and Boston...

Thanks for the props guys, but come playoff time fgts will show their real tryhard shit 100%, even the cleanest of coaches and at that point I just put my bench in and fogedaboudit. Don't bother etc.
#fuggPlayoffs

The "Bounce" character paid to portray me improved a lot.

btw. Ante I don't think that Miami is the best at this moments... they are the best at this moments and that's a fact, as they are on top of the conference and the whole league. They took over the lead from Toronto. That Celtics green suits you well with all that jealousy.
Don't mind facts, please put 7 MVP Celts to stroke your ego and other things.

Bron for MVP, no doubt about it, it will stay like that. LOL Lowry....

First off all, I put 3 celtics because no other candidates were there, terrence ross, kyle lowry, d12 and kobe didn't deserve to make it last week...CPU games and lack of games by LA last week, plus LMA couldn't too since he was cpu till the last day of #r2mvp...Second of all I don't strike my ego because my ego is smaller than a lot of people here, but it's just that people bring it because to make fun of me, so I don't mind it...

It's ok what you think, I respect your opinion...It's no doubt that LeBron is number one as an MVP candidate...

Ante wrote:

First off all, I put 3 celtics because no other candidates were there, terrence ross, kyle lowry, d12 and kobe didn't deserve to make it last week...CPU games and lack of games by LA last week, plus LMA couldn't too since he was cpu till the last day of #r2mvp...Second of all I don't strike my ego because my ego is smaller than a lot of people here, but it's just that people bring it because to make fun of me, so I don't mind it...

It's ok what you think, I respect your opinion...It's no doubt that LeBron is number one as an MVP candidate...

Me, me, my, I, me, my, me, I, me, my, I, me, me, me...

lol that was funny...But it doesn't make it a legit argument...We talked about the #r2mvp and celtics and heat, lol no shit that there will be a 6 me and myself and I's...

Heh, nice. I agree with most of this. That Kardashian trade was 0_o though Millsap is only for a year, Bynum/LMA was big and interesting. I am heartbroken by Walton signing with the Cavs for 4yr/10.85 million. Absolultely devastated.

LBJ will win MVP blah blah.

76ers and Nets making lots of good moves so far imo.

Looks like it'll be a completely user-controlled playoffs?


Lookin' for 76ers and LMA for my next game. Send a msg.

I will.