goguen@cheers.DEC (Don Goguen) (11/05/84)
Since you wanted the lineup to do most of the talking, here's the lineup that will "coast" to the title, becoming the first team to repeat in ages... CENTER: Robert Parish (BACKUP: Kevin McHale / Greg Kite) FORWARD: Larry Bird (BACKUP: Scott Wedman) FORWARD: Cedric Maxwell (BACKUP: Kevin McHale) GUARD: Dennis Johnson (BACKUP: Quinn Buckner / M.L. Carr) GUARD: Danny Ainge (BACKUP: Carlos Clark / Rick Carlisle) Starting lineup - the best (Philly has 2 rookies!) Reserves - lots of ex-starters here - watch for Clark and Carlisle to contribute Don Goguen DEC - Nashua, NH
lor@ucla-cs.UUCP (11/09/84)
Isn't it too early to say which team is going to win the NBA title? This is just the second week of the season. You can only see the strength of the teams on paper, but cannot see other mandatory factors for a title. Injuries, momentum, improvement of rookies and decline of veterans, and mental attitudes are all important ingredients determining the title. On paper though, neither Boston nor Philadelphia has the best talents. The Lakers have the best talents in the world. Three number one draft picks, numerous NCAA, NBA, final four, Championship Series MVPs and titles. Two sure Hall of Famers (Kareem and Magic). The most beautiful and entertaining basketball ever seen. But these showbiz men cannot win NBA titles. They don't have the mental attitudes and beef to win titles. Why isn't it time to pick a winner? Take last season, in the preseason and early going, everybody said Philadelphia was the most dominant team for a decade and a cinch to repeat. But the team lost the aggressiveness, hit by injuries, and was worn-out in the playoffs. Look at their franchise players. Before the all-star break, Moses Malone was considered as the ultimate basketball player, a player in a league above. Wayne Gretsky was quoted as the 'Moses Malone' in hockey and Martina Navratralova the 'Moses Malone' in women's tennis. What happened then? Malone got injured before the break and after he recovered, nobody mentioned his name any more. Malone wasn't even named in the first-team all-NBA. Neither was the 'Doc'; he even lost his status as one of the two best forwards in the league. NBA only had a Bird and a King! I think this is only the right time to predict the NFL champion. After the half-way mark, everybody sees Miami, rather than the preseason-best-team-in-the-universe Raiders, is the team to beat! Eddy Lor ...!ucbvax!ucla-cs!lor lor@ucla-cs