Por si no lo recordáis de artículos anteriores un ”robo” en el draft es una elección muy baja de un jugador que ha despuntado en la liga. El buen trabajo de los ojeadores de los equipos prediciendo el potencial de los jugadores ha hecho que gracias a esto sus equipos puedan nutrirse de jugones a un precio muy bajo. En este artículo analizaremos jugadores aún en activo que han sido escogidos muy avanzada la primera ronda o en la segunda tirada de jugadores.

• Gilbert Arenas: Empezamos con el caso más sonado en los robos del draft. Elegido en la posición 30 del 2001. Probablemente uno de los mejores anotadores de la NBA y 3 veces allstar. Es el ejemplo más claro y es incomprensible como se puede dejar pasar de largo a un jugador tan bueno y escogerlo tan avanzado en la lotería del draft. Bien es verdad que no ha tenido mucha suerte con las lesiones y que ha estado mucho tiempo fuera de las canchas, pero esto no quita los logros cosechados por Arenas. Todo un regalazo para Washington Wizards.

• Manu Ginobili: Elegido el número 57 del 1999, es decir, un segunda ronda bastante avanzado. Otro caso fatal para aquellos que no decidieron escoger a este argentino. Probablemente el problema es que anteriormente solo se confiaba en jóvenes estadounidenses, y no se solía hacer elecciones altas de jugadores europeos ni de otros países hasta pocos años más adelante ( siempre con alguna excepción, sobretodo en jugadores europeos ). El argentino llegó a San Antonio Spurs y rápidamente cuajo en los esquemas del equipo con su juego eléctrico y su buen tiro exterior, ayudando a conseguir 3 anillos de la NBA para los Spurs.

Carlos Boozer, robo de Cavs ahora en Jazz

• Carlos Boozer: Número 34 de la segunda ronda del 2004. Escogido por Cleveland Cavaliers y posteriormente traspasado a los Utah Jazz. Este jugador que promedia 20 puntos y 10 rebotes es un ”mr. 20-10” puro y duro. Su trabajo debajo de los aros es intratable, y junto a Deron Williams quiere ayudar a volver a alzar a los Jazz a lo más alto.

• Tony Parker: Elegido en última posición del draft de 2001 por los San Antonio Spurs. Y es que los de Texas tuvieron buen ojo doblemente al escoger al francés y al argentino. En este caso no es una elección tan baja como la de Manu pero no menos importante. Y es que este pequeño playmaker ha ayudado también enormemente a los Spurs ha alzarse con 3 campeonatos gracias a sus entradas imposibles y a su visión de juego con asistencias inverosímiles en algunos casos.

• Michael Redd: Milwaukee Bucks lo escogió en la posición 43 del año 2000. Tirador y anotador compulsivo, ha promediado más de 20 puntos por partido y ha sido el jugador franquicia de los Bucks los últimos años. Actualmente es muy probable que pierda un poco de protagonismo con la irrupción de Brandon Jennings al equipo, veremos como vuelve tras la lesión.

• Mo Williams: El base ahora de los Cleveland Cavaliers es la segunda opción anotadora del equipo tras Lebron James. Escogido por los Jazz en posición 47 del 2003, este jugador ha jugado en los Bucks su mayor parte de la carrera donde tenía gran protagonismo.
  

  Monta Ellis machacando el aro

• Monta Ellis: Los Golden State Warriors se sacaron un as de la manga el año 2005. Una elección en el número 40, un base rapidísimo y con una potencia de salto increíble. Poco a poco ha ido cogiendo protagonismo y ahora mismo es el jugador franquicia tras la marcha de Stephen Jackson a los Bobcats.

Seguidamente no querría acabar el artículo sin dejarme algunos nombres, todos escogidos en segunda ronda del draft: Stephen Jackson, Rashard Lewis, Mehmet Okur, Luis Scola, Paul Millsap, etc. Aquí están los nombres más importantes a mi parecer de los auténticos robos del draft. Y no quiero acabar sin antes contar un par de casos sumamente curiosos. Jugadores que ni han sido escogidos en el draft y que fueron grandes jugadores en sus respectivos equipos aunque ahora no tienen tanto éxito debido al paso de los años… Brad Miller y Ben Wallace. Dos pívot olvidados en sus respectivos drafts que han destacado y que incomprensiblemente nadie se fijó en ellos en su momento. El trabajo de los ojeadores en ciertos casos como hemos visto es espectacular, grandes aciertos, pero también hay que destacar los demás equipos por sus fallos garrafales y en definitiva tremendamente lamentable.

Este es el Top Five de la Semana, por Tomás Oliveto:

1.       Sebastián Peratta: Todo campeón necesita de un buen arquero, y el 1 de Newell´s apareció en todo su esplendor en la última fecha. El Leproso no pateó al arco, y se puso en ventaja que luego defendió de manera heroica con un Peratta inspiradísimo. Sigue puntero y la próxima fecha Rosario va a arder con el clásico de la ciudad.

2.       Manu Ginobili: El 20 de los Spurs tuvo una gran semana. Sin Parker y Duncan se hizo dueño del equipo con dos grandes noches. El domingo tuvo una leve lesión, pero Manu sin dudas está de vuelta. Encima va a ser padre de mellizos, una gran semana para el ídolo argentino.

3.       Cristian García: El joven delantero tenía que reemplazar a Papelito Fernández y lo hizo de la mejor manera. Con dos asistencias de Silva, García definió con clase el partido contra Vélez. Con sus dos goles, Banfield sigue invicto e ilusionado con el título.

4.       Los Pumas: Sin muchas de sus figuras y en un proceso de transición, el seleccionado argentino de rugby mostró una vez más su clase. El equipo estuvo a la altura de las circunstancias y mereció mucho más frente a Inglaterra. Un buen funcionamiento que genera expectativas para la gira.

5.       Unión San Felipe: Este humilde equipo chileno se anotó en la historia del futbol chileno. En la misma temporada que logró el ascenso a Primera, ganó la Copa de Chile y jugará la Copa Sudamericana. Roberto Mariani es su técnico y tiene siete futbolistas argentinos en el plantel, ellos marcan el andar de este equipo del otro lado de la Cordillera.

Los goles de Cristian García en la victoria de Banfield:

          Manu, el cielo con las manos fue escrito por el periodista Daniel Frescó y es una biografía de Emanuel Ginóbili, el basquetbolista argentino considerado popularmente como el mejor de todos los tiempos en la historia del país. El libro fue editado en 2005 y describe la vida del protagonista desde su infancia en su Bahía Blanca natal hasta la obtención de la medalla dorada en los Juegos Olímpicos de Atenas 2004.

La biografía está dividida en ocho capítulos, los cuales fueron titulados con la altura que tenía Ginóbili al comienzo de cada una de las etapas de su desarrollo físico, basquetbolístico y humano. El contenido del libro refleja el punto de vista del autor, pero no cuenta con la aprobación expresa del personaje en cuestión.

A lo largo del texto, Frescó cuenta los datos cronológicos importantes, pero  a su vez, va resaltando una serie de circunstancias, valores y actitudes que, según él, hicieron llegar al protagonista a ser lo que es hoy. Mediante una redacción sencilla, el autor logra una completa y emotiva narración del crecimiento profesional y personal del máximo ídolo de la pelota naranja.

Por Pablo Gallardo

Hello friends-

To recognize Halloween and Friday the 13th, I have a special video for you.

Witness Manu Ginobili replace Michael Vick on PETA’S “Professional Athletes to Ruin” list

Believe it or not, this was the best defensive stand DeRozan made all night

I had some time to sleep on it and I’m still upset. Nevertheless, here’s some more analysis on last night’s 131-124 loss to the Spurs:

Chris Bosh: Another fine offensive effort, but it would’ve been nice to see him grind it out on the boards a bit more. Sure, he led the Raps with 10 rebounds, but too many times was outworked by guys that wanted it more — namely Antonio McDyess, DaJuan Blair and sadly, on a couple occasions, Matt Bonner.

Hedo Turkoglu: Had a nice first half, was quiet for awhile, then came on in the last couple minutes when the game was already in the bag. In all, a good line (8-of-12, 20 points), but I’d like to see a bit more fire out of the renowned Crazy-Eyez Killa.

Andrea Bargnani: Continued to show flashes of an improved offensive game, but like Bosh, was manhandled on the boards by Blair and the boys. Didn’t help defensively when Calderon and Jack were beat off the dribble, either.

Jose Calderon: Again, a solid offensive night (13 points on 5-of-7, nine dimes), but another poor defensive effort. Come on, my man — spend less time bitching to the refs and more time asserting yourself the way a point guard making nine mil a year should.

DeMar DeRozan: I hate to say it, but it looks more and more every night that this kid isn’t ready. A quiet 13 minutes yesterday, highlighted mostly by an inability to stop any opposing player off the dribble.

Jarrett Jack: Nice start, but not much in the way of a second half contribution. Worked a nice two-man game with Amir Johnson, but like the rest of the Raps, didn’t D up the perimeter.

Marco Belinelli: Stallone had it cooking, with a killer tan to boot. Belinelli nailed four threes, including a dagger to finish the third, and made two sweet dishes — one to Bargnani after a nice ball fake and another to Johnson on a pick-and-roll.

Amir Johnson: His best game yet. Ten points on 4-of-4, five boards and some much-needed hustle in 23 minutes of action. Nice steal and finish in the fourth quarter to keep it tight.

A picture to sum up Antoine Wright's offensive performance

Antoine Wright: I usually like what he brings to the table, but I wasn’t feeling it this time around. Wright committed four fouls a combined 641 feet from the basket and was a nightmare offensively, driving out of control two or three times and fumbling a pass for a wide-open three with the shot clock winding down in the third.

Rasho Nesterovic: Two minutes, two points. Would’ve liked to see more of the big man, especially on a night where the Spurs were getting to the hoop at will.

Sonny Weems: Saw some important minutes and impressed, save for a horrible foul on Manu Ginobili’s desperation three late in the third. Flashed a jumper and finished on a drive to the hoop.

Reggie Evans: Still a few weeks from playing, but it was great to see him up and at it on the bench. Can’t wait to get this bad boy in the lineup.

Despite shooting 59% from the field, Raptors rebounding and perimeter defense still non existent against Spurs

The Toronto Raptors have seen this script before. After shooting the lights out in San Antonio last night, Toronto collapsed under the weight of their inferior perimeter defense and rebounding woes to lose to the Spurs 131-124.

With Tony Parker and Tim Duncan out with mild injuries, Manu Ginobili picked up the slack scoring 36 points off the bench while Antonio McDyess grabbed 5 offensive rebounds – equaling the team total for the Raptors who pulled down just 29 boards. While Toronto’s offense was stellar – including a 32 point night by forward Chris Bosh – their defense was stand still, allowing Ginobli, Richard Jefferson and even former Raptor Matt Bonner to drive the lane at will.

“I thought their smalls went past our smalls,” Raptors coach Jay Triano said. “Our bigs had a hard time keeping their smalls in front of them. We’re just having a hard time stopping the penetration right now.”

The Raptors are third last in the league in opponent scoring, giving up an average of 108 points per game so far this season.

Toronto faces the Bulls on Wednesday for a 7:00 tip off at the ACC.

The Red Rocket and the Spurs got the best of the Raps

Why am I even surprised anymore? I get the feeling my high school team could’ve scored 120 points against this year’s Raptors, and we didn’t even win a game my last two seasons. A Spurs team without Tim Duncan and Tony Parker outhustled and outplayed Toronto tonight, winning 231-124 131-124.

To his credit, Manu Ginobili couldn’t miss in the second half tonight. Still, that doesn’t excuse Matt Bonner getting to the rack four times on his patented sweeping drive that should never, ever work. San Antonio manhandled the Raps on the boards as well, outrebounding them 51-42, including 16-5 on the offensive glass. Toronto committed 35 fouls as well, several of which were about 200 feet away from the basket. Ugly, ugly stuff.

Plenty to like offensively tonight, but not enough to shed any light on an otherwise horrible game. Chris Bosh had another big one, scoring 32 points and adding 10 boards, and Hedo Turkoglu had a season-high 20. Even with foul trouble, I would’ve liked to see Jay Triano get the big guns back on the floor earlier in the fourth, since Turkoglu is apparently some sort of late-game killer.

Jose Calderon offensive resurgence continued with a nice 13-point, nine assist game, but he had trouble checking George Hill off the dribble in the first half and didn’t get much in the way of help from his bigs. Hill, in place of Parker, scored 22 points on 8-of-15 and had five assists.

Anyway, lots to say about this one, so I’ll check in with more tomorrow once I’ve cooled my jets.

Bosh will have his hands full tonight with Tim Duncan

After splitting a pair in New Orleans and Dallas, the Raptors wrap up their current three-game west coast swing in San Antonio tonight against a Spurs team that’ll be without Tony Parker. Come on boys, capitalize! As always, a full preview over at Raptors Republic, where my NBA 2K10 game sim should be posted shortly.

The Spurs come in at 2-3, having lost back-to-back road games in Utah and Portland on Thursday and Friday, but I don’t think anyone is sweating it in San Antonio, because we know they’ll be there in May and June when it counts, as usual. With it being early and Parker out, the Raps actually draw the Spurs at the perfect time, with a win not out of the realm of possibility. The Raptors have actually played Tim Duncan & co. well the past few years — last season they picked up a win at the ACC sans Chris Bosh and they even escaped with a road win in ‘07-08, 83-73 in a slugfest. Don’t count on that kind of D tonight, but hey, anything can happen.

The key for Toronto, I’d say, is point guard play. Jose Calderon showed signs of coming out of his early season funk over the weekend, and he and Jarrett Jack will be counted on to jump on Parker-less Spurs, who’ll start George Hill in his absence. Post D, as usual, will be big, even with Duncan having lost an offensive step.

Anyway, how about a big road win before coming home for the Bulls and heading out west to do it again? The Raps and Spurs tip tonight at 8:30.

Manu Ginobili got tired of a bat’s intermittent intermission so he swats the poor animal WHILE FLYING IN MID-AIR. I’ve got to be amazed with his incredible hand and eye speed. haha.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT-F5QznjrA&feature=fvst

OrEv.

The San Antonio Spurs have a new superhero. No, I’m not talking the Manu Ginobili, AKA The Batman, I’m talking about Head Coach Greg Popovich, AKA The Sleepmaster. You see, he’s giving his team some time off and it may be raising an eyebrow or two to purist throughout the NBA. But maybe, just maybe, Pop is on to something and he’s moving away from some of the archaic rituals instilled by some of the greatest basketball coaching minds in the world.

Long ago did Popovich do away with game-day morning shootarounds, which allowed the players to rest up before a game. Now Pop is looking to help his players get some more Z’s and is using a recent Stanford University sleep study as his guide. “You need sleep. Sleep means recovery, mental and physical,” Popovich said recently. Now, beginning after the last preseason game, practices don’t begin until 4 in the afternoon.

Pop turned to a study which followed the sleep habits of six members of the Stanford University men’s basketball team. The studies author, Cheri Mah, revealed some interesting observations. All six players who took part in the study were asked to change their sleep habits and get full nights of rest. The results were startling as all six players showed significant improvements in observed athletic performance. As an example, all the players saw their free throw percentage rise. “This study … showed that obtaining extra sleep was associated with improvements in indicators of athletic performance and mood among members of the (Stanford) men’s basketball team,” the report read.

The Spurs seem to have taken to the extra winks, well most of them. For new forward Antonio McDyess, the change is something he’ll have to work at. “That’s my rest time, my body seems to shut down about 4 in the afternoon.” For the European players, this is a change back to the normal. “In Europe, that’s what we do — practice in the afternoons. So for me, that’s not a change,” Parker said. “In the morning, it’s nice to sleep. Sometimes you come in after a game, and you’re stiff and sore, so you sleep in the next morning, and your body gets warm.”

For the Batman, it was a welcome relief. “For me, it’s good, because I’m not a great sleeper,” Ginobilli said. “Sometimes, I go to bed late, especially after our games, so it’s good to have a couple more hours.”

The move seems to be the envy of some NBA head coaches. “When I’ve got four (NBA Championship) banners hanging from the ceiling in our arena, I’ll stop having shootarounds, too,” Hornets coach Byron Scott quipped after learning of the Spurs practices.

There have been mixed results from fans. One blogger recently said “This would only work with a mature, older team. Most young NBA players would just stay out all night doing the posse thing.”

I say this in response: The study was on college students and, how many of those in the “posse” have four Championship Banners hanging from their practice facility much less their arena?

more about “Manu Ginobili Destroys a Bat Video“, posted with vodpod

Bonus!

more about “Emo Girl Video“, posted with vodpod

I did not hear a word she said. But I still enjoyed the video and it cheered me up. Anyway, I’m gonna go box the shit out of something. Rise up and show the love people, show the love.

In case you missed it, here’s footage of Manu Ginobili making quick work a bat that dared to fly near the court in Saturday night’s Spurs-Kings game. As expected, PETA is on the case, hoping to do to Ginobili as he did to the precious bat. The following statement was released this afternoon:

“To bludgeon a 4-ounce animal to death, it takes either a small man or a totally unthinking one–with no respect or consideration for lives humbler than his own. This is a time when athletes in particular need to be on their best behavior around any animal and show that they have brains and a heart, not just reactionary brawn.”

So, they’re you have it. Manu Ginobili = a really, really horrible person. He’s probably less human than A-Rod in centaur form. Possibly the worst guy in the world, to be precise.

Here is a clip from a San Antonio Spurs game last week, where the Spurs thought it would be a good idea to have a live bat be in their arena for some special Halloween thing.  It was flying around, delaying the game, and finally Spurs guard Manu Ginobili had enough and killed it by swatting it out of mid-air.  I’m sure he’ll be hearing from PETA pretty soon. NOTE: Embedding this video was disabled on request from the user, so to view this, you must go to the URL provided below.

• Boston va muy en serio. Rasheed Wallace y Marquis Daniels están sumando, no se ve en las estadísticas pero su trabajo está siendo realmente bueno. Además Pierce está muy enchufado y Rajon Rondo se nota que se está jugando un contrato. Aún se espera a Kevin Garnett.

• Miami y Denver han empezado fenomenal. Miami con un Wade sin forzar ayudado perfectamente por un Jermaine O’neal en una segunda joventut y Denver con un Carmelo Anthony estratosférico se presentan como alternativas a los principales candidatos al anillo.

• Cleveland está muy irregular y su banquillo no rinde, y Lakers echa de menos a Gasol mientras Artest sigue sin acoplarse.

• Houston está dando la cara (2-1)  sin sus dos estrellas (Yao Ming y McGrady) gracias a un Trevor Ariza que se está adaptando a las mil maravillas a su nuevo rol (23.3 puntos por partido).

• Orlando sigue con su racha de victorias que empezó en la pretemporada y lleva ya 11 partidos consecutivo ganando (8 en pretemporada y 3 en liga regular). Dwight Howard oposita para MVP (21.6 puntos y 16 rebotes de media).

• Washington y Oklahoma aspirantes a ser la sorpresa de la liga. Ambos equipos con un 2-1 en su casillero están mostrando un juego muy dinámico. Wizards ha recuperado al mejor Gilbert Arenas y al mejor Brendan Haywood que junto a Mike Miller y Antawn Jamison puede causar problemas a cualquiera. Además Andray Blatche está a un nivel asombroso y ya coge número para ser el jugador con mayor progresión, de momento 21 puntos por partido y más de 6 rebotes. Thunders por su parte están liderados por un Kevin Durant que tiene todo para ser un jugador que marque época y está siendo muy bien secundado por sus escuderos Westbrook y Jeff Green, dos de los jugadores más infravalorados de la liga.

• Memphis tiene buena pinta. Aún sin debutar Allen Iverson, el equipo de Marc Gasol está mostrando un nivel más alto de lo esperado. El propio Marc Gasol se está mostrando inconmensurable en la pintura con 20 puntos y 11 rebotes en apenas 29 minutos. Zach Randolph y O.J. Mayo también están ofreciendo un gran momento de forma. Si siguen jugando así no descartemos a los Grizzlies para playoffs.

• Otro equipo que pinta bien son los Sixers de Philadelphia. Eddie Jordan sigue demostrando que es un gran entrenador para este tipo de equipos y a su llegada a Philadelphia le ha dado galones a los jóvenes que no han tardado en responderle con grandes actuaciones. La rapidez de Louis Williams, el dinamismo de Thaddeus Young y la movilidad del pívot Marresse Speights están siendo la gran punta de lanza de este equipo que además cuenta con un Elton Brand recuperado y un Andre Iguodala que cada vez toma mejores decisiones.

• New York Knicks y Nueva Yersey Nets son dos auténticas bandas. Ambos equipos vivirán de lo que puedan mejorar sus jugadores jóvenes: Gallinari por parte de los Knicks y Douglas-Roberts por parte de los Nets. De momento, muy bien ambos.

• Sacramento es posiblemente la plantilla más floja de la NBA y aún así Sergio Rodríguez no goza de minutos. Los Kings tienen depositadas sus esperanzas en Tyrekee Evans, un base-escolta con un potencial enorme que le pondrá difícil el rookie del año a Blake Griffin.

• Y hablando de Blake Griffin (lesionado para dos meses), sus Clippers no levantan cabeza y son sorprendentemente el peor equipo hasta la fecha. Un equipo con jugadores de la talla de Kaman, Baron Davis, Marcus Camby o Eric Gordon cuesta creer que no hayan ganado todavía.

La jugada de lo que llevamos de temporada a cargo de Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs):

You’ve got to check out this video of Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs as he takes matters into his own hands!

Bu yarasanın salona nasıl girdiği vesaire konuşuladursun. Fakat artık yeni bir misyonu daha var bu adamın. Yarasa Avcısına çıkıverdi bir anda adı. Severek takip edeceğiz. Yarasayı bloklayarak yere seren NBA tarihindeki tek adam. Bu hareketi bile izleyenlere ve salondakilere fazlasıyla heyecan kattı. Neşeli bir an insanlar adına. Tabii ki bu neşeyi bloklanan varlık adına söylemek pek mümkün olamayacak.  ( Spurs & Sacramento)

En su vuelta tras la lesión, el bahiense jugó 23 minutos y se mostró intacto en la victoria de San Antonio sobre New Orleans por 113 a 96; Houston, con Scola, venció a Golden State 108-107 | Manu se animó a penetrar ante los Hornets | mysanantonio.com

SAN ANTONIO.- Fue muy auspicioso el debut de Manu Ginóbili y los Spurs en la temporada 2009/10 de la NBA, en el que se impusieron con claridad ante New Orleans por 113 a 96, en el AT&T Center.

Uno de los datos salientes de la noche fue la vuelta de Manu luego de una lesión en el tobillo que lo alejó de las canchas buena parte de la temporada pasada.

El bahiense tuvo una destacada actuación al aportar 16 puntos y 4 asistencias en 23 minutos que estuvo en cancha, donde no sólo trió desde afuera, sino que también penetró y lo hizo con soltura y eficencia.

Para se el primer partido, el equipo que dirige Gregg Popovich mostró un buen funcionamiento colectivo y una interesante rotación. De hecho, lo mejor de San Antonio llegó desde la banca: grandes actuaciones tuvieron, por ejemplo, el veterano Antonio McDyess (9 puntos y 3 rebotes), George Hill (9 unidades, 4 asistencias) y Roger Mason (11 puntos).

” “Realmente, no esperaba marcar tanto ni jugar un buen partido, pero empecé a meter algunos tiros y el equipo jugó tan bien que las cosas se hicieron más fáciles para todos”, dijo Manu tras el partido. “

El que más sorprendió en su nivel, además de Manu, fue el novato DeJuan Blair (selección de segunda vuelta del Draft), que jugó como si tuviese mucha experiencia y aportó un doble-doble con 14 puntos y 11 rebotes en 22 minutos, con un altísima eficacia de 7 de10. “Está mostrando una gran maduerz”, elogió Pop.

El máximo anotador del encuentro fue Chris Paul, de los Hornets, quien registró un total de 29 puntos y 9 asistencias.

Victoria de Houston. El equipo de Luis Scola, luego de perder anoche en su primera presentación ante Portland Blazers, derrotó como visitante, en un cierre ajustado, a los Golden State Warriors por 108 a 107 en el Oracle Arena, de Oakland.

Monta Ellis, de los Warriors, fue el máximo encestador con 26 puntos y 5 asistencias.

En tanto, el argentino levantó considerablemente su desempeño con respecto al partido de ayer al registrar un total de 21 puntos y 2 asistencias en 35 miuntos de juego en cancha.

Otros resultados: Toronto Raptors 101 – Cleveland Cavaliers 91; Atlanta Hawks 120 -Indiana Pacers 109; Orlando Magic 120 -Philadelphia Sixers 106; Miami Heat 115 -New York Knicks 93; Boston Celtics 92 -Charlote Bobcats 59; Minnesota Timberwolves 95 -Nwe Jersey Nets 93; Memphis Grizzlies 74 -Detroit Pistons 96; Denver Nugets 114 -Utah Jazz 105 y Los Angeles Clippers 107 – Phoenix Suns 109.

www.nba.com

fuente:lanacion.com

Yesterday I posted my Eastern Conference preview, and here’s how I see the West shaping up in 2009-10:

The Lakers are gambling that Ron-Ron can pull himself together

1. LA Lakers (64-18): Can’t go wrong with the defending champs. Out is Trevor Ariza, but in is four-time NBA All-Defensive Team member Ron Artest, who the Lakers are hoping can make it through a season without losing his mind. I’m guessing Kobe smacks him if he gets even a little out of line and the Lakers repeat as champions.

2. Denver (56-26): I knew Chauncey Billups was a good player in Detroit, but he made it clear just how great of a leader he is after coming over in the Iverson trade and turning Denver into a top-five team in the league. Credit to Carmelo Anthony for rounding into a better team player and a ball(s)y comeback season from Nene. I don’t see the Nuggets taking a step back in 2010.

3. San Antonio (54-28): Here’s a sign I’m getting old — I actually like the Spurs. Not so much because of Tim Duncan, but more because Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are great to watch. Throw Richard Jefferson into the mix this season and the Spurs are back in the top half of the West.

4. Portland (52-30): That Greg Oden really turned the Blazers into a title contender quickly, huh? Well, actually he didn’t. In Portland, it’s all Brandon Roy. The Blazers were spurned by Hedo Turkoglu this summer and ended up with point guard Andre Miller, who head coach Nate McMillan is strangely considering using off the bench this season. Still, expect the Blazers to be a legitimate threat again.

5. New Orleans (52-30): CP3 & co. took a bit of a step back last season, but that had more to do with teams like Denver and Portland stepping up than the Hornets taking a step back. Paul and David West give New Orleans one of the NBA’s top one-two punches, plus Peja Stojakovic can still spread the D and drop three-point bombs, even if he does little else. Emeka Okafor is in for Tyson Chandler, who missed a lot of time last season, though Okafor himself is recovering from a toe injury and didn’t suit up at all in the preseason.

6. Dallas (51-31): The Mavs are still good, but again not good enough to hang with the big boys in the West. They did, however, add Shawn Marion, who will benefit from the up-tempo offense, though likely not to the 20-10 tune he did in Phoenix.

Deron Williams is hoping Carlos Boozer doesn't cramp his style this season

7. Utah (46-36): I’m guessing it’s going to be an awkward year in Jazzland. Utah re-signed Paul Millsap to a four-year, $32 million contract to take Carlos Boozer’s spot at power forward, then failed to unload an unhappy Boozer, who’s in the last year of his contract, over the summer. Still, with Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko all still in the mix, the Jazz have a shot at winning 50 games.

8. Phoenix (43-39): The Shaq experiment having failed, the Suns are going back to the Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire show, which didn’t work the first time. Phoenix will be entertaining, but with age catching up to them and another short bench, they’re a fringe playoff team at best.

9. LA Clippers (35-47): Look at this! For once the Clippers shouldn’t be absolutely horrible — instead, this season they should only be slightly bad. First overall pick Blake Griffin joins last year’s lottery man Eric Gordon to give the Clippers a good young core — one that hopefully won’t be dragged down too much by point guard Baron Davis, who had a hellish first year in Los Angeles. Should be an interesting team to watch, and one that could push for a playoff spot in 2011.

10. Oklahoma City (34-48): Another team with an awesome young core. Kevin Durant has already proven he can score in this league, but can he take his team to the next level? He’s joined by two future stars — Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook — and a Rookie of the Year candidate in third overall pick James Harden. Expect the Thunder to take a step forward this season and be a playoff team in the near future.

11. Houston (32-50): The Rockets have been banged up for years and still manage to win at least 50 games every season. With Yao Ming gone for the year and Tracy McGrady his usual indefinite self, I don’t see that trend continuing. Houston added Trevor Ariza, who was big as a sixth man for the Lakers last season, and he’ll be given the reigns to do pretty much whatever he wants this year. Unfortunately, that still won’t translate into many wins.

12. Golden State (31-51): The good news is they dumped Jamal Crawford. The bad news is they still have way too many shot-happy guards, including one that isn’t happy about too much else these days. The Warriors are going to run-and-gun this season, but like their contemporaries in Phoenix, aren’t going to win too many games.

O.J. Mayo loses out big on the Grizzlies' additions of Iverson and Randolph

13. Memphis (24-58): What is this team thinking? The Grizzlies have a pair of up-and-comers in Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo, so they go and bring in reputed team killers Allen Iverson and Zachary Randolph? Blows my mind. For one, Iverson and Randolph don’t win games, and they’re almost certain to stunt the development of Gay and Mayo. This franchise is an absolute mess. By the way, what ever came of Javaris Crittenton, who they picked up in that brutal Pau Gasol trade a couple years ago?

14. Minnesota (23-59): The T-Wolves have a couple strong big men in Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, but not much else outside rookie point guard Johnny Flynn. Minnesota would be in better shape had they not dealt Mike Miller and Randy Foye to Washington this summer for the fifth overall pick in the draft, which they wasted on Ricky Rubio, who I’m betting never suits up for them.

15. Sacramento (16-66): Yikes. Kevin Martin is going to hoist tons of shots and the Kings are going to lose tons of games. Youngsters Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson and rookie Tyreke Evans will all get a shot, which should help their development but not produce much in the way of results, at least not for awhile.

Ross Geiger’s 2009-2010 NBA Regular Season Predictions

What’s up everyone, coming soon is no longer, it’s time for the NBA season, which means it’s time for a entertaining NBA season with Ross Geiger. As for me, I’ve been busy juggling my 6 classes for the semester leaving me not much time for NBA preseason write-ups. But now that the season is here, I’ll be sure to be posting frequently! Other than the season itself, things to look forward too include and are not limited to the following, day to day game predictions from yours truly, nationally televised game recaps, and of course a few interesting articles along the way! But for now enjoy my NBA Season Predictions and I look forward to reading each and every intellectual comment, question, or concern. Without further ado, enjoy!

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division:

Boston Celtics- While they continue to age, throw their team’s youngest talent in trade talks and inked an always-risky chemistry issue star; the Celtics remain to stay atop the Atlantic Division. Boston continues to test the “Luck of the Irish” while both the Knicks and Nets remain patient for the 2010 & even 2011 free agent class. Not only does the addition of Rasheed Wallace help ease those who continue to question the recovery of Kevin Garnett but also allows them to be a very versatile bunch as he’s able to play both frontcourt positions. Truthfully I see Garnett coming back strong, if so I love the idea of Garnett on the block with his back to the basket. It allows the “Ra-Ra” tandem (Rajon & Rasheed) to run the pick and pop up top opening up a sealing Garnett inside on the block. From there KG has his options: make a move, kick it back out to swing the ball a-Rondo-horn or find a slashing Pierce. Don’t rule out the idea of seeing Rasheed at the small forward to matchup up big with a team like the Orlando Magic. Placing Rasheed at the small forward is somewhat of a stretch but remember the wise words of KG, “nothing’s impossible!”

Toronto Raptors- Clearly the city of Toronto is located in Canada making it not a part of the United States. But what’s not clear is if on paper the Toronto Raptors look like an NBA roster. Raptors GM Bryan Conlangelo has strengthened the depth this offseason having solid backups at each position with Jack, Bellinelli, Wright, Johnson, and Nesterovic. Though Hedo Turkoglu was an overpaid free agent whose numbers will slightly drop this season, he provides the “go-to” perimeter shooter down the stretch that the Raptors have lacked ever since Vince Carter left town. Another year under Calderon’s belt only points to positive results and let’s not forget that head coach Jay Triano embarks on his first full season after trying to pick up the mess that Sam Mitchell left behind last season. For the Raptors to cling to second place in the Atlantic, they’ll need a big season from Bargnani who needs to show he was worth the contract extension he received (which will be hard to do earning 50 million over 5 years). With the departure of Anthony Parker, the team will need someone to step up to fill that shooting guard position. I’m excited to see who decides to step up and am hoping it’ll be Marco Belinelli who has always been one of my favorite summer league players to watch. All we’ve ever heard is that he just needs to find the right opportunity, that opportunity is now there; it’s time to shine in Toronto.

Philadelphis 76ers- It was hard not giving the upper edge to Philly over the Raptors but they decided to not fully address their point guard concerns this offseason. After letting Andre Miller walk (one of the NBA’s most underrated PGs), they made no move to improve their point guard position. Drafting Jrue Holiday was a great selection but he’s not ready to be thrown into the fire. Ivey is a decent backup, and the favorite to start at PG this year Lou Williams makes Leandro Barbosa look like a true point guard. I question why they didn’t attempt to bring in a point guard but further question how Elton Brand will comeback. If Brand comes back to full health and Dalembert stays healthy then the 76ers are a point guard away from being a scary team in the Eastern Conference.

New York Knicks- I don’t know the history into how Times Square got it’s name but I can tell you this, time is still square for the New York Knicks. In fact, they’re onto the last and final square 4. One more season of waiting until the LeBron James auction begins which also means one more season of bad basketball in Madison Square Garden. The square heads inside the Knicks management better pray they can recruit LeBron because settling for anything less after this effort would be a shame. It’s sad that instead of even predicting their season, it’s more interesting to predict their next moves, so here we go. In the upcoming season, I predict them to tank again (even if not on purpose), remain interested in Rubio by offering Minnesota expiring players for him in return or if the stink enough that they can offer a high lottery pick for his rights, and I also feel they’ll end up signing David Lee to a one year deal. I’m still unsure how Jordan Hill will pan out for them this season especially after having a not so impressive summer league but he should get plenty of opportunities to show what he can do. On closing thoughts I’d also like to note that Brandon Jennings was a perfect fit to run D’Antoni’s offensive game plan being a pure point guard who has the ability to be the future guru of the fastbreak offense if he lives up to his potential. I’d love for the Knicks front office to answer this, what’s the most important position in order to run a successful fastbreak? All in all, get LeBron James (which I feel they will) and all this questioning will fade away as fast as Allan Houston.

New Jersey- Surprisingly I love New Jersey’s offseason moves as their best bet was to work toward the future and put themselves in a position to snag a star free agent in the next two off-season’s that await. Until then they got a nice young nucleus starting with Devin Harris and Brook Lopez, both whom exceeded their expectations with their first year with the club. Courtney Lee will be given a huge role, which will allow him more opportunities to shoot the basketball. Yi will continue to be the Yi that was hyped up but can’t live up to any of it and hopefully Terrence Williams will prevail over Bobby Simmons as the starting small forward. Head coach Lawerence Frank being my favorite head coach in the entire NBA makes it hard for me to put his team in last place in the division but I feel it’s a realistic final standing. The New Jersey Nets should move into their new arena when finished with a bright bunch of young NBA veterans.

Central Division:

Cleveland Cavaliers- GM Danny Ferry will continue to lose some sleep after LeBron turned down the idea of a contract extension, but do you blame him? As he continues to have not the slightest idea which way LeBron’s noggin is swaying, at the very least he’s got to be more than satisfied for his offseason pickups. Ferry added Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon, Leon Powe, resigned Andersen Varejao and I almost forget…he traded for the BIG WITNESS, Shaquille O’Neal. The Cavaliers are more than ready than contend for an NBA championship and anything less than winning a ring, will result in the departure of LeBron James in my opinion. Many sites believe Delonte West will remain the starting shooting guard but I disagree, I feel Anthony Parker is the better shooter to complement LeBron on the wing. Parker was a huge pickup; he may actually have more of an overall impact than Shaq this season. Moon becomes a great substitute when LeBron gets his quick breathers and having Big Z (Ilgaukas) coming off the bench is key, as both Shaq and Z rely on one another to remain injury-free. Staying optimistic on a healthy return for Leon Powe will be big as an additional spark plug next to Varejao. Powe will be invaluable if & when the Cavaliers meet the Celtics in the playoffs. For the last few years Powe has went against both Garnett and Perkins in practice and can offer valuable insight on how to defend both of them to his fellow Cavalier big men. This looks to be the year we’ll finally see Shaq & Kobe matchup in the NBA Finals. If so any chance I can request Nike to create a Shaq puppet and a Ron Artest puppet?

Chicago Bulls- When you surround your team with a player as high of a caliber as the league’s reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose, the sky is the limit. The deadline move to bring over John Salmons and Brad Miller will continue to pay dividends this year. Both Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah showed drastic improvement as the year went on and both should continue to blossom next to the Rose. So you may be wondering what needs to happen in order for the Bulls to be a serious team to compete come playoff time, for the answer listen up and as I put a little twist to Pharrell’s hook in Chicago native Common’s hit, Universal Mind Control, “It’s that Deng, to de-Deng, Deng, Deng, Deng”. Luol Deng’s strong comeback determines just how far the Bulls can climb this year. A healthy Deng allows Salmons to move over the shooting guard position and helps Ty Thomas remain a more comfortable fit at power forward. But bringing back a former Bull in Jannero Pargo returning from overseas could possibly leave some doors open for trade talk for Kirk Hinrich. If Pargo can prove he can be a solid enough backup guard for spot minutes behind Rose, the Bulls should explore trade options for team’s interested in Hinrich. A great situation for Hinrich waits in Philadelphia where he could be their missing link to becoming a very scary team in the Atlantic Division possibly even competing for the top spot with the Celtics. If Philly becomes desperate for a REAL point guard, a package that includes Hinrich could possibly bring over a guy like Thaddeus Young who would help heal the wound at the small forward position if Deng can’t return strong. The Chicago Bulls are by far the best team in the Eastern Conference too not only compete now but to compete in the bright future that lies ahead in the windy city. On top of all the possibilities of making a serious postseason run for an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, even if they fall short, don’t forget that next season Dwyane Wade will be making a homecoming when he signs a long-term deal with the Bulls, giving the Bulls one of the most athletic backcourts in the history of the NBA.

Detroit Pistons- Each year the Detroit Pistons seem to be getting away from what help them be successful in the first place, defense. Yes, I realize players’ age, there’s needed change and some players leave. But why not do your best to replace those players with similar basketball player mentalities? All of a sudden the Detroit Pistons have become obsessed with vortex scorers shying away from their team defense and unselfish play on the offensive end of the floor. It started with Billups for Iverson, then allowing Rasheed and McDyess to walk replacing them with Villanueva and Gordon. At this point, Tayshaun Prince must be dreading the upcoming season having nobody else who takes pride in their defense out on the floor with him. At the end of the offseason it’s almost like GM Joe Dumars realized it and pushed the panic button by trying to revive dead glory bringing back Ben Wallace. There’s no question that the Detroit Pistons won’t have trouble scoring the basketball, but who’s going to rebound? Who’s going to defend the opponent’s big man? Did I mention yet that their depth at the center position has Kwame Brown starting and Ben Wallace backing him up? I’d love to hear Stephen A. Smith’s comments regarding both of those centers and how they’ll impact the Pistons this year. If the Pistons develop a run and gun style like the Phoenix Suns then maybe their new roster can be effective but until then I see tons of problems, maybe even chemistry issues as each player is going to have to sacrifice some touches. Call me crazy, but if the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers focus in on their defense and stay healthy with their players, I see BOTH of them having a good chance at jumping the Detroit Pistons in the win column. But until then, the Pistons have the upper edge.

Milwaukee Bucks- The Milwaukee Bucks offseason moves boggle many NBA analysts as well as tons of NBA fans. Parting ways with three of their starters in Richard Jefferson, Charlie Villaneuva, and Ramon Sessions. The simplest way to put it is that both Villanueva and Sessions didn’t fit the Skiles type player and Jefferson didn’t have the desire to play in Milwaukee. But GM John Hammond did accomplish something big, he got the Bucks barely under the salary cap while acquiring some solid role players in Carlos Delfino and Kurt Thomas that can have big impacts if (and this is a BIG if) Bucks stars Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd return healthy and remain healthy for a full season. Not to mention the Bucks had a successful draft coming away with a steal at pick #10 selecting the potentially great point guard Brandon Jennings and then selecting one of the deadliest shooters in the draft with the #41^st overall pick, Jodie Meeks. The question I always get asked, is how can I possibly truly feel the Bucks have the ability to be successful, my answer is it’s starts with their toughness on the defensive end of the floor. While I’d already considered the Milwaukee Bucks to be a Top 15 defensive team last season, parting ways with Sessions, Villanueva, & Jefferson only helps their case into being placed into my Top 10 this year. Coach Scott Skiles is a coach who demands toughness on the defensive end of the floor while also taking care of the ball on offensive end of the court. OPPORTUNITY should be the Milwaukee Bucks’ motto this season, Hakim Warrick is going to get the chance to be a “go-to” guy, an opportunity to not only be a full time starter but also to be called upon to be consistent. For Brandon Jennings, he’ll need to be patient with Skiles because there’s not a chance he’ll earn the starting role immediately but if he can be a spark plug by getting the Bucks out on transition, create open looks for his teammates, and more importantly prove to Skiles he’s not a defensive liability (even though he needs to throw on some more weight), I think Jennings could take over the reigns from Ridnour as early as January. Which would still give him a legit shot (depending on the Bucks’ playoff chances) at Rookie of the Year honors. Bottom line for the Bucks, how Bogut and Redd return, how Warrick accepts a new level of responsibility nightly and how Brandon Jennings pans out this year determines whether or not the Bucks make a claim for that 8^th spot in the Eastern Conference.

Indiana Pacers- Like the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pacers’ level of success lingers on the chances that their main players remain healthy. Unfortunately history tells us that just won’t be the case. But if Danny Granger can make history by increasing his scoring output by another five points (which would have to be 30.8) per game this season then the Pacers could be like the Miami Heat of last year. This would be Granger’s fifth straight season of improving his points per game by five or more, something that’s never been accomplished. Is it a reasonable record to break?… who knows, it’s the Indiana Pacers a team that beat five out the six division leaders (Cavs, Magic, Lakers, Nuggets, and the Celtics by 26 pts). Too make even more confusing, last season the Pacers failed to have a winning streak longer than three games last year. Newly acquired Dahntay Jones definitely helps strengthen their defensive efforts but doesn’t help them put up anymore points on the board, which concerns me. There’s still no timetable on whether or not Mike Dunleavy, one the Pacers best scoring options in the past, will play next season or ever again for that matter. Troy Murphy gave his best to produce on the offense but in the end the Pacers don’t have enough legitimate scoring threats to help out the Lone Ranger, Danny Granger.

Southeast Division:

Orlando Magic- The Magic were the last but also the first team to go fishing during the offseason. Losing in five games to the newly crowned world champion Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals they became the last team “gone fishing”. During the summer’s free agency period they went fishing once more reeling in a Bass, forward Brandon Bass from the Dallas Mavericks. Along with Bass, the Magic traded for the human highlight reel Vince Carter with Ryan Anderson also coming over in the deal to New Jersey guard that sent Rafer Alston and the young Courtney Lee. Adding Vince Carter gave the Magic a nice replacement for Hedo Turkoglu whom they knew would be a tough signing (eventually Turkoglu signed with Toronto). Then came a shocking move when the Magic decided to match the Mavericks offer sheet to backup center Marcin Gortat. With the little money they had left, they went out and signed forward Matt Barnes and flashy point guard Jason Williams. It’s clear to say that the Magic had a very successful offseason, bulking up their depth for another potential NBA Finals run. Dwight Howard has gained another year of experience and also now knows what it feels like to play in the NBA Finals; he’ll be hungry to make his return to the biggest stage. Vince Carter is craving a chance to play in the NBA Finals falling short to do so way back with the Raptors missing a game winner, which would’ve sent him to the finals in 2001. With Vince you must question how much “magic” is still left in the tank but Orlando is fortunate enough to have above average backups at every position, in Carter’s case it’s Mickael Pietrus. Going into the season, without question the Orlando Magic are the best suited team to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers for a chance to go to the championship.

Atlanta Hawks- My gut feeling wants to give the Wizards a chance and select them as the second best team in the Southeast Division but I couldn’t pull the trigger due to Atlanta’s unity. Ever since Mike Bibby came to town for the most part the Atlanta Hawks gelled as a team and have kept the same solid structured roster. With the Wizards filled with many new changes as well as big impact players coming off injuries, unless the Wizards have an unbelievable second half of the season, they won’t catch the Hawks. No disrespect to the very solid Flip Murray but for the first year since Atlanta’s been a threat in the East, they finally got a lethal threat coming off their bench in Jamal Crawford. Murray played great for them but logged a ton of minutes at the point guard slot, which wasn’t his ideal position to be successful. Like Murray, Crawford flourishes as a shooting guard but also has the ability to play the point guard spot and is more effective than Murray as the floor general. But don’t get too excited seeing Crawford as a PG because rookie Jeff Teague could also see some spot minutes on the floor to provide a spark. Teague was a potential lottery pick going into the draft and Atlanta lucked out with him falling down to them at #19. Both Joe Smith and Jason Collins give Coach Mike Woodson some new-experienced post options of the bench along with Zaza Pachulia. If Atlanta continues to build upon each year like they have in the past few seasons, the Hawks could be a dark horse come playoff time.

Washington Wizards- Let’s face it, their “wizardry” paid off as Washington basically traded away their rights to selecting Ricky Rubio (whom won’t even play in the NBA for another couple years) in exchange for guards Randy Foye and Mike Miller. The Wizards organization adapted the perfect mentality when the draft approached. While all of last season the Wizards were one of the worst teams in the league, a lot of that had to do with big injuries. Rather than selecting another top prospect and waiting for him to fully develop, the Wizards’ front office decided to take a different standpoint focusing on the present. The Wizards NEED to win now, the current roster situation points to wins. With Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas, and Brendan Haywood seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of their “prime”, it’s a no-brainer you risk the future and give this franchise an opportunity to be successful in the present. Grabbing Fabricio Oberto along with Foye and Miller changes the whole dimension of how “playoff ready” this team really is. If Gil-Zero comes back strong, Haywood can be consistent solid center, grabbing down some boards, and the rest of the team put up numbers they’ve put up in year’s past, the Washington Wizards aren’t a team you want to be reckon’ with. But Wizards fans, you gotta stay patient with your squad, the first 20 games may be just below .500 basketball, but once the Wiz find some signs of momentum, watch out!

Charlotte Bobcats- Head coach Larry Brown has almost completely finished his project of giving the Bobcats a makeover filled with players he’s fond of. In a nutshell I love describing the Bobcats as a team filled with borderline stars who on great teams are solid role player starters. So if we’re talking chemistry-wise then yes, I love the Charlotte Bobcats, but for some strange reason with or without reaching an agreement with guard Raymond Felton, I don’t see the chemistry translating to wins. The Bobcats are one all-star shy of being a very dangerous team even in the Southeast division. Trading away Emeka Okafor’s contract of Tyson Chandler doesn’t necessarily help the team improve but it does improve their chances of inking what I like to call a second tier free agent in these next two off seasons. Charlotte should put up so battles this year but will be that team that is solid but always falls up short in the end in tough games. Same will apply for their 2009-2010 season.
Miami Heat- After Dwyane Wade leaves Miami for his hometown Chicago Bulls this next offseason, the Miami Heat will be crowned the Eastern Conference’s version of the L.A. Clippers. The first half of the season will say it all for the Miami Heat, if the Heat struggle out the gates, it won’t come as a surprise if D-Wade happens to get “injured” having to clock some time on the injured reserve (aka staying healthy for his homecoming). Can anyone give me one reason why Wade should stay in Miami? They didn’t even make the slightest effort to be another big name to town to aid him. Instead they became the 5^th team this offseason to receive Quentin Richardson and his all so streaky long-range stroke. I’m sorry, am I missing something? Although Q-Rich and D-Wade have a good off the court relationship both reigning from Chicago (Richardson was actually working out with Wade when the news broke he was traded again) I’m pretty sure the Heat have James Jones who won’t be as effective as Richardson but is at least consistent and Daequan Cook is almost a clone (as a SG) of a young Richardson. With Beasley having off the court issues, Chalmers always leaving you wondering, and never knowing the daily status of Jermaine O’Neal’s knee I don’t like the Heat’s chances of getting out of the gate with a strong start. Like I said earlier and I cannot stress enough how terrible start and awful first half of the season= Injured Wade, but even if I’m wrong, I promise you Wade will be gone in a FLASH at the end of the season, Chi-Town bound.

Western Conference

Northwest Division-

Denver Nuggets- The Nuggets are coming off of a stellar year after acquiring Colorado native Chauncey Billups in exchange for team chemistry cancer Allen Iverson. Since Mr. Big Shot’s arrival the Nuggets have rose to the top of the Western Conference, looking to this year reach the top of the Rockies in first place of not only the Northwest Division but also the Western Conference. While it’s highly unlikely that they’ll earn that top spot, be advised that the momentum built up this past year will continue to build this year. If Coors Light came up with a bottle that turn blue when on you got your swagger, the Denver Nuggets roster is on code blue. The energy and aggressiveness that the Nuggets bring nearly every night is what will continue to drive them to success. While I’m not a fan of J.R. Smith, his play alongside Carmelo and Chauncey will ultimately determine games down the stretch, if he can continue to knock down the open shots, it allows Billups and Melo to operate with open space that will lack help side. In the post, the Nuggets also have one of the best clean up crews around with K-Mart, Birdman, and Nene. One thing to watch out for is the progression of rookie guard Ty Lawson, who should flourish in Denver’s style of play, it won’t take long for him to beat out veteran Anthony Carter for the backup point guard position and with Lawson’s speed, I also see Coach Karl playing Billups and Lawson together if the matchups present themselves. Just like the last year’s playoffs, the Nuggets will be one of the most entertaining teams to follow this year.

Portland Trailblazers- The Trailblazer nucleus now knows what it takes to be a playoff team and have a taste of the playoff experience. With that in mind, the young squad will build upon last year’s success while meshing in the newest addition of veteran point guard Andre Miller, who could become the missing link to the puzzle. Starting center Greg Oden should come out and display drastic improvement to his overall game and it wouldn’t shock me to see him average a double-double with a couple of blocks per game. Portland’s biggest problem comes at small forward where they have multiple guys who equally deserve a chance at that starting role. While Nicolas Batum started the majority of last year’s games, Martell Webster should add his argument with his lethal outside shot. I’ll even throw Travis Outlaw into the discussion; though the Blazers seem very content playing Outlaw in the second unit with Rudy Fernandez who should also blossum some more this year. Even with the addition to Andre Miller don’t look for the Blazers to impress much in the playoffs, but individually the young Blazers should continue to impress throughout the season.

Utah Jazz- I don’t know what it is about Jerry Sloan’s teams, they’re always solid but can’t ever find that extra emphasis to get over the hump in big game situations. While the Jazz will be able to easily find one of the last spots in the playoffs if Deron Williams stays healthy, the overall improvement of this year will lean on the return of Carlos Boozer. Boozer will have the ability to prove to the league, what exactly the Jazz have been missing and how big an impact he actually has in his team’s success. The Jazz will start out the season without two of their main wing players, C.J. Miles and Kyle Korver limiting their strength of depth, giving Kirlenko another shot at not only proving he’s worth a starting nod but worth considering at the small forward on occasions. Millsap, even after getting paid, should continue to be Millsap, their key post man off the bench. The Jazz look as strong as ever on paper, but can they finally find that one extra gear come time to compete for the playoffs.

Oklahoma City Thunder- They’re young, they’re talented, they’re inexperienced, that’s all you’ll hear this year regarding the Thunder’s new and improved young team. Unfortunately this year will not be the breakout season, but there will be stretches this year that this team show signs of what’s to come for many years down the road. Each Thunder player is on a mission this year, a mission to not only gel as a team, but to ultimately prove themselves as elite players for their given roles. Durant has the ability to solidify himself as the 3^rd best overall player in this league behind LeBron and Kobe. Westbrook can solidify the league that he’s capable to handle the point guard position though he is not a true point guard. Westbrook could even throw up Kidd-like numbers in the box scores, flirting with a triple-double each game. Jeff Green should quietly continue to prosper from the attention that Durant demands and his ability to blow by slower power forward defenders that have to dread matching up with a guy of Green’s nature. If there’s anyway the Thunder find themselves in the playoffs without another team ahead of them having a star player go down, it’ll be the addition to rookie James Harden. Harden will be given the playing time to have a chance at not only become a member of the All Rookie First Team but also a legit shot at winning Rookie of the Year. Did I forget to mention if the Thunder somehow make the playoffs, who the NBA MVP will be??? Kevin Durant

Minnesota Timberwolves- The season of lessons learned, the motto in which new head coach Kurt Rambis and his team should live by this season. Even if Al Jefferson and Kevin Love remained healthy (which evidentially isn’t the case), the Wolves have no chance winning games this year. Too much inexperience, but filled with players who show signs of tremendous upside daily. Jonny Flynn will gain valuable experience as part of a struggling team and it should ultimately help him become a even better leader out on the floor. For Corey Brewer, this is a big season, a season to shine and prove his worth. Jefferson if healthy would’ve continued to improve as a fantasy owners dream, producing unreal numbers on a nightly basis. The NBA world won’t truly get a sense of the Wolves future until the Love and Jefferson tandem becomes healthy down low. Last but not least, did you think I forgot to mention the addition of Ramon Sessions, no I didn’t but honestly, I probably should have because Ramon will get beat out as the starting point guard and won’t be nearly as effective as he was with the Bucks last season. If Sessions stays with Minnesota he’ll become a player who was overpaid and overrated, but don’t be surprised if come playoff time, teams come calling.

Pacific Division-

Los Angeles Lakers- The question isn’t whether or not the Lakers will be at the top of the Pacific Division that’s already a given, it’s whether Ron Artest helps them repeat as NBA champions. Despite the rest of the league’s attempt to put together a championship contending team, the Lakers once again will have the best-suited team for success. Opposing teams must pray that Ron Artest continues to ruin team chemistry with the teams he’s a member of. This very well could be a transition year for the Lakers with Derek Fisher slowly (and I mean slowly) earning less minutes in order to develop Jordan Farmar, but so far Farmar has yet to show consistently that he’s worthy of the slow changing on the guard. For Bynum, he must bounce back to full strength and become aggressive when given his touches or he maybe ignored on the offensive side of the ball come midway through the season. So far so good when it comes to moving the basketball for the Lakers, each player has seemed to accept their roles with the Artest addition. Odom seems fine providing a spark of the bench if need be and Kobe will continue to be Kobe, no matter who joins the franchise. In the end, if Kobe is Kobe, Artest continues to be Artest, it should be a very interesting year for the Lake Show, but one filled with a lot of promise.

Phoenix Suns- Did I put any bias into this pick? Absolutely not, in fact I’m quite displeased in the way the Suns have managed to put together this team. Lacking a solid back up point guard (sorry the guy who gets paid lottery pick money not a backup) Dragic is no better than Roko Ukic. Now off that rant and on to the next one the Suns have no legitimate backup center, even before the injury of Robin Lopez. While I love that the run and gun mentality is back being that it’s a joy to watch during the season, but historically just awful to watch fail come playoff time. The Suns need such a lucky playoff matchup to even stand a chance in the first round. Do they have the ability to get there? I don’t know, I think Coach Gentry has the right mentality to have a chance, he just lacks the right personnel, simply because the management isn’t willing to spend the money. Channing Frye will prove to be a great management move and will definitely fit the “blue light” special bargain, but his option at the end of the year will be avoided and Frye will be gone, unless the Suns decide to over pay him. I can’t say much about the Suns this year, I just can’t, I’m done buying into the “eyes on the prize” as a supporter because simply that’s not what the management has their eyes set on. In many senses, the management is blind with a future that doesn’t look promising. Most likely Amare will be gone after this year, Frye will be gone (or overpaid), and poor, ring less Steve Nash will continue to descend from his prime. On the bright side, the Suns will potentially have a chance to get back into the playoffs by strictly out scoring teams where I hope they prove me wrong, and make me a believer. Earl Clark will be fun to watch progress and hopefully he’ll be given an opportunity unlike Alando Tucker. Well there’s not much else to say, be on the lookout on an article soon to really go in depth on my opinion regarding the Suns because though many find me a hater, I’m not, I’m just a not a believer in the way this franchise is being handled, I support the product being thrown out there on the floor 95% of the time. That 5% will be shown on January 11^th. But in all, Suns will earn one of the last spots in the playoffs but without any emphasis on defending, they’ll be one and done, gone in the first round, then Amare will be gone. Though the Suns team, as I knew it is already gone, I hope we all enjoy what is left of it.

Los Angeles Clippers- Could the Clippers potentially leap the Suns in the Pacific Division? I posed the question earlier this summer, got mixed emotions. In my opinion it’s a close call but I much take the proven Phoenix Suns than a young, unpredictable team filled with many depth questions. Who starts at center? Does Blake Griffin come off the bench? How does Eric Gordon’s role change with the signing of Rasual Butler? Is Baron Davis healthy and ready to go? These are just a few of the many I have for the Clippers this year and not even their biggest fans can truly answer these with complete certainty. I do like what Clipper fans have to look forward too, even before grabbing Griffin in the draft lottery. Gordon and Thornton were both surprising players last year and hope to improve upon that with the aid of a healthy Baron Davis by their side. Camby and Kaman both continue to show their worth with their inside presences and I’m hoping DeAndre Jordan will sprout soon. Jordan could soon be a very good poor man’s Dwight Howard having tremendous potential. The overall success of this team relies on Baron Davis, whether he can do enough to incorporate everyone into the offense and do so in an effective manner. While I think he can do much of that, I don’t feel he can do enough of it to make the Clippers a playoff team.

Golden State Warriors- I’m well aware that Stephen Curry could be up for Rookie of the Year honors, but I don’t think he presence helps the Warriors succeed. His vortex mentality as a shoot first point guard will not improve the young Warriors team it will in fact hurt their chances in becoming a successful team. With the amount of scoring they have, the Warriors need to stress ball movement, getting everyone on the same page is something that should but won’t be done, just by examining the roster’s personality. With Captain Jack being relieved on his position, the Warriors lack a proven leader. No leadership translates into having a bad season. If Don Nelson isn’t willing to give Anthony Randolph his opportunity this season, they should consider trading the young product in exchange for a leader, a guy with the leadership ability of Chauncey Billups could really go far with a team not far from being successful. The Warriors will struggle but play hard to the end like ANTHONY who plays like there’s no ToMORROW. By the way, watch out for him, he could be a potential fantasy stud, especially with an unhappy Stephen Jackson.

Sacramento Kings- With not much too look forward, Tyreke Evans becomes the main attraction in Sac-Town. Evans can at least bring some future hope to what’s to come along with potential double-double machine Jason Thompson and maybe even inconsistent center Spencer Hawes, whose shown signs of success but not enough to be fully bought into yet. But nonetheless the Kings should be back into the running for the #1 pick next year and I can only imagine a backcourt consisting of Evans and John Wall, talk a future backcourt for year’s to come! With a new coach and new point guard in charge of controlling the floor, change is in the air in Sacramento, patience could be worth it Kings fans, could be….

Southwest Division:

Dallas Mavericks- Dare I do it? I shall! The Spurs are great and will be right up there with the Mavs but I’m picking the Mavericks to be the biggest surprise in the NBA. Why? They made some very serious offseason moves, ones that will help the team step up to the next level. The most important was reuniting Shawn Marion with long lost teammate Jason Kidd. In my mind, Marion couldn’t of found a better home outside of Phoenix, being a firm believer I feel he’ll return to the Matrix of old for the most part. Though he’s already on the downside of his prime, he’s still enough left in the tank and enough motivation to seek a title. His slashing game compliments Nowitzki’s game well and don’t be surprised to see Marion play with Josh Howard whom they’ll move over to the shooting guard. With the best sixth man in the game today, in Jason Terry, the Mavericks will be the second best team in the Western Conference by a hair. Drew Gooden is a very legit backup big man able to play both power forward and center. Head coach Rick Carlisie has plenty of lineup options he can experiment with but once he finds the right solution, I believe the Mavs will be rolling from there on out. Dallas is the team to beat in the Southwest Division.

San Antonio Spurs- They’re old, they’re experienced and they’re going to be good, especially come playoff time. But for the season’s sake, I’ll have them finishing behind the Mavs because at some point in the 82 game season, the Spurs will experience a rough injury, it’s just bound to happen. With stars like Ginobili, Parker, McDyess, and Duncan an injury is sitting just around the corner waiting to bite, but will it affect the overall play of the team, no in fact it’ll help the team prepare for the playoff push. Popvich if he’s smart he will start benching his players after clinching a playoff spot, in order for the aging stars to be ready for a dogfight throughout the entire playoffs. Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess were great fits for this ball club, DeJuan Blair could potentially could be the biggest steal in the draft so far showing that his knee is healthy and that he really was lottery pick worthy. The future of this franchise isn’t bright but the present is about as bright as it can get, if healthy.

New Orleans Hornets- After disappointing me in the playoffs last season, eliminated in embarrassing fashion by the Denver Nuggets, the Hornets have a lot to prove to their fan base. There’s no doubt having the best point guard in the game helps but if the streaky shooters around him don’t help out the Hornets don’t stand a chance. With the departure of Rasual Butler, aging shooters Morris Peterson and Peja Stojakovic must knock down their shots until Julian Wright is fully ready for the responsibility. James Posey wasn’t as impressive as advertised and needs to prove the league wrong this year, by getting back to knocking down big shots. David West like always, will continue to do his thing with the near 20 and 10 each night. Emeka Okafor must find his niche with Paul from the get go of the regular season to become a deadly force for the team as Okafor is very limited with his back to the basket, one on one. Along with Ty Lawson of the Denver Nuggets, Darren Collision could be a very surprising point guard from day one in the NBA. The Hornets should find a way to sneak into the playoffs but will Paul have enough threats surrounding him to help out? Probably not…

Memphis Grizzlies- By far the most confusing team in the NBA. Just when you thought the Grizz had the right idea to go young and build around their talented youth, they go out and find the biggest troublemakers possible. Adding Allen Iverson and Zach Randolph will only serve as role models NOT to follow in the NBA and will also help sell tickets. I really question whether the Memphis front office truly thinks A.I. and Z-BO can really help this team be successful, especially in a division where the should be focusing on the future, as they have no chance in competing now. A few of Rudy Gay’s touches should be taken away and given to Randolph but his scoring output should remain around the same as last year at nearly 19 points per contest. There will be two starting positions that will be interesting to follow throughout the year, Allen Iverson and Mike Conley battling for the starting job along with Marc Gasol and Hasheem Thabeet. In both cases I think Iverson and Thabeet will come about with the starting duties. Sam Young has shown some promise early on, but finding legitimate time could become a problem. The Memphis Grizzles will remain in the spotlight this upcoming year for all the wrong reasons, it’s unfortunate we won’t be able to focus on the positive young future that’s been held up by aging, chemistry issued stars.

Houston Rockets- The Rockets might not win a game this year if Luis Scola doesn’t average 20 plus a game. Just kidding but Scola needs to average 20 points in order to even be competitive. I think we’ll quickly see that Trevor Ariza is overrated when it comes to be a franchise player and Aaron Brooks can only pass so many times a game in order to produce ball movement. I like the Rockets in terms of defense and their scrappy mentality but they have no identity on offense what so ever, it’s going to be an offensive about as confusing as the first few minutes of a pick up game. Coach Rick Adelman has a long season ahead of him and I have much respect for any positives he can get out of this season. As for Tracy McGrady, I almost forgot he’s still an active player in the league. While I hope for a strong return I don’t know how much T-Mac has left in the tank that’s definitely running on empty. For the Rockets 2009-2010 season, the wins will be running on empty as well.

Eastern Conference

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Boston Celtics
3. Orlando Magic
4. Atlanta Hawks
5. Toronto Raptors
6. Chicago Bulls
7. Washington Wizards
8. Detroit Pistons

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Dallas Mavericks
3. Denver Nuggets
4. San Antonio Spurs
5. Portland Trailblazers
6. Utah Jazz
7. Phoenix Suns
8. New Orleans Hornets

Este es el Top Five de la semana, por Tomás Oliveto:

1. Martin Palermo: Una vez más se convirtió en “San Palermo” pero ahora para la Argentina. Bajo una lluvia torrencial la selección empataba ante el débil conjunto peruano, pero ahí apareció Palermo. En el lugar y momento justo para empujar la pelota y darle la necesitada victoria a la selección nacional. Por suerte, y gracias a Palermo seguimos en carrera para llegar a Sudáfrica 2010.

2. Marcelo Bielsa: El DT argentino le dio la clasificación a Chile al próximo Mundial. Con su propuesta ambiciosa logró que su conjunto sea el más ganador en condición de visitante en las Eliminatorias y así lograr la clasificación. En Chile ya es ídolo. Finalmente, Marcelo, el tiempo te dio la razón.

3. Facundo Pieres: El N°1 de la Ellerstina convirtió 10 goles en la final del Torneo de Tortugas para darle una nueva corona a su equipo. El equipo campeón del último Abierto de Palermo, a partir de esta semana buscará conquistar Hurlingam.

4. Colón: El equipo de Santa Fe continúa por el buen camino. Mohamed edificó un equipo con un gran sentido colectivo, y hasta el momento es uno de los más sólidos del Torneo Argentino. Sin el “Bichi” Fuertes, el equipo sigue en un gran nivel gracias al aporte de sus juveniles y de sus jugadores experimentados.

5. Manu Ginobili: Luego de muchos meses de recuperación, Manu se volvió a poner N°20 de los Spurs. Jugó pocos minutos en los encuentros preparatorios de la NBA, pero se lo vio nuevamente feliz dentro de la cancha. Por suerte, Manu está de vuelta.

El gol de Palermo en el último minuto:

The #3 San Antonio Spurs is the other team who gets that the NBA is a window league and how their window is closing. So R.C. Buford gave an awesome example during the summer about how to give his stars a last chance to compete for the championship.

On the best move of the offseason, the Spurs traded Bruce Bowen, Fabricio Oberto and Kurt Thomas to the Milwaukee Bucks for Swingman Richard Jefferson. Jefferson comes to be another score because he’s such a good shooter and very athletic. Just another weapon to this already loaded squad.

San Antonio also signed Antonio McDyess and Theo Ratliff in free agency which comes to show how interested they are to cover all the angles. McDyess is one of those players who became a fashion in the NBA after the PJ Brown effect: older guy that can rebound, defend and be a good influence inside the locker room. Ratliff is just a goaltender. He’s 18^th all time in blocks, fifth among active players, and comes to improve the defense in their second unit and be on the floor to defend leads.

On top of the moves, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili have been resting all the summer. This shouldn’t mean too much though. Duncan had an All Star performance during the first half of last season but then all of a sudden just looked really old and Manu is just the way he is: made of glass.

The Spurs have the deepest team in the NBA. They are dressed in every position: fast PG, shooter, inside the paint presence, 6^th man, coach and deep bench.

After a three championship run, year in and out on the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs are a franchise that could easily take the rebuild road but decided not to. Even with banged up guys like Duncan and Ginobili which also means that Poppovic is also near the end, San Antonio reloaded and gave Tony Parker even more weapons to try to make their sunset even more beautiful. Don’t expect from them the top spot of the West in the Regular Season because that’s not what they want to but if everything goes according to the plan, the walk to the Finals are cleared. San Antonio is the scarier team of the league.

Check More At: MVN

This summer the Spurs management threw away their frugal business model, unlocked their war chest, and bought themselves enough major free-agents to go toe to toe with the Lakers for the Western Conference Championship.  Or so they hope.  Added to the roster via free agency were Richard Jefferson,  Antonio McDyess, and Theo Ratliff.  The Spurs also landed massive rookie power forward DeJuan Blair with the 35th pick in the draft, which some regard as a steal.  Do the Spurs now have enough to unseat the ridiculously talented Lakers?

Not if you check the pre-season betting lines.  The online bookies currently list the Lakers at +120 (close to even money) to win the West, while making the Spurs a 7-1 dog.  That’s quite a spread.

One that I think is wrong.  I believe the Spurs have more than a decent chance to unseat the Lakers.  Why?  If you watched the Western Conference Finals last year, you saw a Spurs team that was seriously over-matched against the Lakers.   The Spurs had no reliable weapons on offense other than Tony Parker.  Tim Duncan was unable to get much accomplished offensively against the long Lakers front line.  Manu Ginobili was simply awful, operating at only 50% on a bad ankle.  Roger Mason, the Spurs’ sharp-shooting 2, completely disappeared.   On defense, Duncan was playing on an island, with no help from the other Spurs big men.  And no one could guard Kobe Bryant, least of all the clearly over-the-hill Bruce Bowen.   So what’s changed?

Everything.  Here are 7 reasons why the Spurs might beat the Lakers in the West this year:

1) Richard Jefferson:  the Spurs acquired an all-star to replace the washed-up Bruce Bowen.   Although he may have been acquired partially as a Kobe stopper (see my Lakers post), Jefferson is rugged enough to create problems for Artest.  And he is a terrific and underrated scorer.  Having played with Kidd and Carter on the Nets, and Redd on the Bucks, Jefferson knows how to fit in, and will be a great third option on offense.  For the first time since Sean Elliot, the Spurs no longer have an offensive hole at small forward.

2) Increased depth on the front line.  In Ratliff, McDyess and Blair, the Spurs acquired some big bodies that can do the dirty work guarding centers in the paint, and allow Duncan to preserve his body.  Ratliff and McDyess are still above average defenders.  And I would not be at all surprised to see Blair playing center as well.  Remember the job he did on Thabeet?  He’s a tough load to move, and a rebound machine.

Bynum, Gasol and Odom had their way last year against the aged, arthritic and immobile Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto, and the game but undersized Matt Bonner.  How much will Bynum be able to get accomplished against a three-headed rotation of Ratliff, McDyess and Blair?  How effective will Gasol and Odom be against a rested and rejuvenated Tim Duncan?

3)  Tim Duncan.  Duncan had a rough year last year, suffering from tendinitis in both knees.  He struggled to make an impact in the playoffs, and when it was over, admitted that he was no longer the player he used to be.  He hasn’t taken it lying down.  This offseason, he changed his workout and his diet, and remade himself: he came into training camp 15 lbs. lighter.  That will help his knees, as will the help he has gotten on the frontline, and Pop’s determination to bring him into the playoffs in top shape.  There is speculation he will be rested in back-to-backs.

The return to health of Manu Ginobili and the addition of Richard Jefferson will also have a huge effect on Duncan’s game.  Last year, the Lakers overloaded the strong side whenever Duncan touched the ball.  This year, he’ll have Ginobili and Jefferson on the weak side, and the eagle-eyed Duncan knows how to get them the ball.   That should open things up considerably for his own offense.  I look for a rejuvenated Tim Duncan in the playoffs this year.

4) Manu Ginobili.  Ginobili was a ghost of himself in last year’s playoffs, suffering from a stress fracture in his ankle.  A summer away from basketball has helped him completely heal.  According to reports from training camp, he is all the way back, and the best player in camp.  When healthy, Ginobili is one of the best two-way 2 guards in the league, and if the player Brent Barry nicknamed “El Contusion” can remain healthy going into the Conference Finals, the Lakers are in for a far stiffer battle from the Spurs than they got last year.

5) Tony Parker.  Parker gave the Lakers fits last year, and you can only expect the problem to get worse this year.  Parker is the spear pointed directly at the Lakers 35 yr. old Achilles heel, Derek Fisher.  He simply can’t be guarded by the Lakers, and the problem only got worse with the addition of Jefferson to add another option and spread the floor.

6) Superior depth overall:  The Lakers are not a deep team.  Other than Odom, who do they have coming off the bench?  Powell, Walton, Vujacic, Farmar?   I don’t believe any of these guys could even MAKE the Spurs.  I’ve already discussed the Spurs deep front line.  But how about Roger Mason, “behind” Ginobili?  I expect him to be far more play-off ready this year.  How about George Hill, behind Parker?  By the end of the year, I think people will be talking about him as one of the best backup point guards in the league.  Keith Bogans, another new acquisition, is a terrific wing defender to back up Jefferson.  Michael Finley can still contribute.   This is a deep, deep team.

7) Greg Popovich.  This could be the subject of another post or three, but I would take Greg Popovich over Phil Jackson in a playoff series any day.  I don’t think its close.  Just to keep it simple:  Greg Popovich, schooled by Don Nelson, is a master at making playoff adjustments.  Phil Jackson almost never makes adjustments.  Usually, given the superiority in talent of his squad, he hasn’t had to.  But in the rare cases where he has had to make an adjustment in order to win a series, he has failed miserably.  Taking the recent Lakers-Celtics Finals debacle as an example:  Would Jackson allow Kobe and Gasol to run pick and roll against the Celtics?  No.  Allow Gasol to face up and create against immobile behemoth Kendrick Perkins?  No.  Unleash Kobe?  No.  Push the tempo and try to run the aged Celtics off the court?  No.  With Phil Jackson it is Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, for better or worse, until death do us part.  Perhaps he’s afraid he’d lose his aura as Big Chief Triangle if he allowed his superstars to bust the mold and win a series despite him.

After reviewing all of these factors, there are two conclusions that I’m reasonably certain of:  First, we’re going to see a hell of a series in the Western Confererence Finals.   Second, whether they ultimately beat the Lakers or not, the Spurs are mispriced going into this season.  If you are an opportunistic bettor like myself, that’s what you look for.  Check back for my upcoming post on pre-season bets to see how I’m going to play this.

Other posts in this series: The Lakers.