I realize that I’ve been on a top 5 kick lately, but it’s just the mood I’m in. Let’s keep it rolling with the Top 5 moments from a busy sports weekend:

1.) SMU Becomes Bowl Eligible – For whatever reason, I’ve been a SMU fan from my earliest days. I have never attended school there and they haven’t had the on field success that elicits t-shirt fans, but I’m a fan of the Pony Express. I went to several SMU games as a kid, pre-death penalty, and I was at the first post-death penalty game, a win over UConn. To see this team rise from the depths, become bowl eligible and sit in the driver seats for the Conference USA title is great indeed.

2.) TCU Sends a Message – There are two legitimate national title contenders in Texas–the one in Austin everyone expected and then the one in Fort Worth that’s been battling for national respect for a decade.  While it will still take a miracle for TCU to earn a spot in the BCS National Championship Game, if they run the table and win their BCS bowl game they will provide yet another example of how the BCS is the biggest fraud in all of sports.

3.) Mavs Continue to Play Strong – In spite of a recent rash of injuries and illnesses, the Dallas Mavericks continue to play as well as anyone in the NBA. Over the weekend, they took games at Minnesota and Detroit and tonight won on a last second, OT buzzer beater in Milwaukee. While this may not be the Lakers, Celtics & Cavaliers, three straight road wins is always a feat in the NBA. Plus, the Mavs got these 3 wins without Josh Howard, Tim Thomas, Erick Dampier and Shaw Marion.

4.) Colts beat the Patriots – I’ve always said, every time the Patriots win, somewhere a little puppy dies. To see the look of failure and utter dejection on the face of Bill Belichick walking off the field last night actually helped ease the pain of the Cowboys loss (see #5).

5.) Wade Phillips is one step closer to being fired – In the “desperately-seeking-a-rainbow-after-the-storm” category, the Cowboys loss to Green Bay on Sunday means this franchise is one step closer to ridding itself of its final obstacle in the race to win a Super Bowl–Wade Phillips. I’m convinced that if this team does not make it to the NFC Championship game this year, Jerry Jones will fire Wade. While I will always support fellow Texans, Wade is just not the right fit in Dallas. In keeping with the “support my fellow Texans” theme, I’m also glad that the Packers win ensures that their GM, and former Atlanta Rabbit great, Ted Thompson’s job is safe for at least another week.

The 2009-2010 season has been one of immense scoring, and tremendous excitement.

1. Boston Celtics: I am no fool. The Celtics are legit, at this point in time the C’s are  the best team in the league. Their offense is clicking, Rasheed Wallace looks more like a contestant for the All Star Weekend NBA 3 Point Contest, rather than the Sixth Man of the Year. Rondo got his extension, a safe move to protect young talent on an aging team. Things are working out in Boston, and as of week one, no team can touch them.

2. Orlando Magic: Just ask The Octagon, the Magic are very potent. The depth of this Magic Team is simply incredible. Their scoring recalls the glory days of the Phoenix Suns under Mike D’Antoni. Just think with J.J. (Get me a record deal!) Reddick scoring 27 points in the absence of Vince Carter, as well as Rashard Lewis’ suspension and Pietrus’ injury the Orlando Magic offense firing on all cylinders is truly scary.

3. Los Angeles Lakers: I can’t bring myself to rank the Lakers any lower than third, they are: 1. still the best team substantially in the Western Conference 2. temporarily lacking the frontcourt depth that Pau Gasol brings and 3. they are the Los Angeles Lakers, the same Lakers that have won 15 NBA titles, brought in guys like Gasol and Ron Artest, and will continue to do anything to win Kobe another ring.

4. Denver Nuggets: While predicting the Western Conference standings at the end of the season, I wasn’t too big on the Nuggets. Sure they have guys like Chauncey Billups, J.R. Smith and the Birdman, and I thought their trip to the Western Conference Finals was a fluke. Then I remembered that they had Carmelo Anthony. 113 points in 117 minutes played. That alone earns them the 4 position.

5. San Antonio Spurs: Although disappointed with the loss in Chicago, I’m still big on the Spurs. Antonio McDyess is a great addition off the bench. DeJuan Blair, is making every GM in the league regret not taking him, even though I believed his talent was on par with a first round pick. Besides, the team already has a guy who can do this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1DpjBEwekE

6. Cleveland Cavaliers: Ah, there they are. Forget the 0-2 start, the Cavaliers are looking better. The return of Delonte West was hailed in Cleveland, as he locked in 13 points and two assists. Mo Williams, who has also stepped up his game in the last two victories, and Daniel Gibson looks like he has his three point shot back, for now. Also, there is a real possibility that LeBron could average a triple double for the season, woah.

7. Dallas Mavericks: Dirk’s on usual pace, Terry’s looking like his sixth man self, and Marion is contributing with points and rebounds. Despite the Mavs’ opening loss, the team has turned itself around. Howard has been looking like the Josh Howard of old, and the Mavericks can be a real prescence in the West.

8. Phoenix Suns: I’ll give it to the Phoenix Suns, an undefeated record combined with Grant Hill’s efforts and Channing Frye’s resurgance, the Suns look alright. Amare has not looked like himself, despite putting up average numbers. How long can this streak last? a five game road trip against Eastern Conference teams should dictate that.

9. Miami Heat: Am I really that impressed by the Heat? No. But I cannot argue a 14.3 ppg difference in wins for their first three games. I can’t put my faith in Jermaine O’Neal, i simply just can’t. Michael Beasley should improve as a sophomore but with OJ Mayo scoring 40 points now this early in the season for Memphis, I question the Heat’s draft pick. If Dwayne Wade does not believe in this team, he could be gone by next season.

10. Atlanta Hawks: I feel that the Hawks have not improved substantially from last year. As Joe Johnson recently said coming off a loss to the Lakers “were too soft.” Josh Smith, progressing in terms of his blocks, has not even attempted a three pointer this season. I simply believe the Hawks are playing about to their potential in terms of their talent base.

¡ Rondo !

It’s been all tricks AND treats for the Celtics for the first three games.

TREAT
Rondo’s command. Rondo has been in control of all three games against Cleveland, Charlotte, and now Chicago. I’ve stressed over and over again that one the most important aspects to becoming a top 3 point guard in the league rests in his ability to learn how to control the pace of games– when should Rondo push the ball to hit or create an easy bucket in transition and when does he need to slow it down and set up the offense. So far in the first three games, Rondo’s had full command over the pace.
As the guys over at CelticsHub.com pointed out this morning, Rondo has 37 assists to just 5 turnovers. While it’s still early, Rondo is averaging just a touch over 7 assists per turnover. 2 years ago, Rondo started the season with almost as many turnovers as assists and now, he’s an assist/turnover ratio machine.
We’ve known over the last few seasons that this kid can rebound, but I see him more aggressive and feisty than ever before on the offensive glass. There have been multiple possessions where he’s had more than two consecutive offensive boards. Thank goodness for his anticipation, hops, quickness, and freakishly large hands.
By the way, if you’re keeping track of whether Rondo is a top 3 point guard… he’s taken down Mo Williams, Raymond Felton, and Derrick Rose. We’ll keep track at Loscy of these match-ups throughout the season (see sidebar to the right).

TRICK
KG being KG. Does he have that ALL THAT explosiveness and burst of speed back that we are accustomed to? No, not yet. As I wrote about the other day, it doesn’t matter. KG will find his way back into basketball shape and be able to run up and down the court better and be quicker on lateral slides/transitions. But for now, he’s doing everything we need him to do. We need him to jump out of the gym. Many nay-sayers believed KG would be done because of the mysterious knee injury (including a certain Sports Guy) when he told the media countless times that his knee is fine. KG has told all of you to shut up about his knee, and I highly advise you do so unless you want him to bite out your kidneys.

TREAT

Pierce 2.0, refresssssshed.

Dear Cleveland, Charlotte, and Chicago:
Thank you for obliging to my demands that you frequently leave Pierce wide open on the wings. Thank you for letting him launch threes without a single defender in his face. Pierce has been an impressive 10-17 (59%) from behind the arc and a terrific 18-34 (53%) from the floor. He’s also tacked on 14-15 from the stripe (94%). The slimmed down version of Pierce (“Pierce 2.0”) is a lean-mean shot dropping machine. Thank you Coach Brown, Brown, and Del Negro for not forcing any of your players to guard Pierce and allowing him to showcase why he’s one of the most prolific scorers in Celtic history.

TREAT
Last night against the Bulls, EVERY SINGLE Celtic player that logged time in the game finished with a positive +/- rating. Let me say that again: anytime any of the Celtic players were on the floor last night, the Celtics were consistently outscoring the Bulls (and able to make stops) Hey junkies: when’s the last game where every player on a team had a positive +/- rating?

What a positive sign (sorry, had to do it).

TRICK

Ray Ray doing what he does.

Yes Ray is 34 years old. Yes all of the “experts” are talking about how we will likely see a slow down in production because of age. I know it’s only game 3, but Ray looks as efficient as ever. AS EVER. Has anyone moved off the ball as well, quickly, cleverly, and efficiently as Ray Allen? Maybe Reggie Miller. That’s the only person I’ll let you put in his company. Props to Ray, as well, for passing my all-time favorite player in NBA history (John Stockton) on the all-time scoring list.

TRICK & TREAT
Rondo’s ally-oop to KG in transition last night. BOOMING. This was both a trick (KG’s knee is fine) and treat (glad to see one of my favorite plays from last year resurrected).

TREAT
The team’s defense is getting tighter and tighter. The Celtic core players were bragging about Quisy and Sheed’s high basketball IQ in the off-season, and now we have some pretty reliable living proof. Quisy and Sheed know the defensive schemes pretty well so far. I’ve been really impressed with Shelden Williams and Eddie House’s D, too. The landlord is slowly carving out a niche for himself on this team and crashing the boards with controlled recklessness. I love it, Shelden.

(other) TREATS
George Hill (Spurs) is nasty. I want to see him in green.
Gilbert Arenas has returned to form.
Shawn Marion might have found a home in Dallas.

Rondo’s 16 assists via Red’s Army:

Welcome back, NBA. I’ve missed you.

Dallas Sports: Texas Rangers News Dallas Cowboys News Dallas …
razak al hassan
liverpool arena
gabona
speaker box
maratona new york 2009
Lakers vs Clippers Live Stream Online
roasted pumpkin seeds recipe
Live Results From UFC 104: Machida vs. Rua
Jump Then Fall – TAYLOR SWIFT
gunbroker.com guns

FiG22 » Shawn Marion Out 7-10 Days For Dallas Mavericks
India LD Diwali Offer 2 Million Free Call Minutes to India
nc child support
Man vs. Food October 21 (Washington
south carolina vs vanderbilt
biola university
agassi
robert wadlow
its sugar
: Nick J Online

Für die Fans der Cleveland Cavaliers in der heimischen Quicken Loans Arena, vor den Fernsehern und den Computerscreens weltweit war es ein Eröffnungsspiel zum Vergessen. Zu deutlich waren jene Defizite im Spiel der Cavs wiederzuerkennen, die von Kritikern immer wieder bemängelt wurden und auch zum Ausscheiden des Teams aus Ohio in den Conference Finals im vergangenen Mai führten. Noch immer vermag es niemand, mit der Ausnahme von LeBron James eben, das Spiel an sich zu reißen und in Phasen, in denen James auf der Bank sitzt oder einfach die Hilfe seiner Mitspieler benötigt, die Mannschaft auf den eigenen Schultern mitzutragen.

Dabei hätte es im Anfangsviertel wirklich nicht besser laufen können, oder nicht schlechter, wenn man den Blickwinkel der Boston Celtics wählt. Die Cavaliers führten nach nur 3:06 Minuten im ersten Viertel mit 13-2 und ließen kein Zweifel daran, wer Herr im Haus ist. Für das erste echte Highlight sorgte dann LeBron James etwa sechs Minuten später, als er Rajon Rondos Versuch den Ball, nach einem Steal und Break, zu stopfen so übel gegen das Backboard blockte, dass erste „MVP“-Rufe auf den Rängen der Halle losbrachen.
Die Partie begann zu dieser Zeit jedoch bereits zu kippen. Angeführt von ihren Bankspieler, genauer Rasheed Wallace (zwölf Punkte) und Marquis Daniels (sieben Punkte), holten die Kelten aus Boston einen 14-Punkte-Rückstand auf und gaben die erkämpfte Führung nach dem zweiten Viertel in den folgenden Spielabschnitten nicht mehr aus den Händen. Wer fand auch, dass Sheed derzeit eher einem Obdachlosen ähnelt als einem NBA Spieler? Mehr Skills als Flip in Above the Rim hat er aber allemal. Die Reservisten der Celtics trugen insgesamt 26 Punkte zum Sieg bei, die der Cavaliers konnten derer lediglich zehn erzielen.
In den letzten anderthalb Minuten des Spiels besiegelte Paul Pierce (23 Punkte, elf Rebounds) mit zwei erfolgreichen Jumpshots und zwei getroffenen Freiwürfen die erste Heimniederlage der Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James, der oft auf sich alleine gestellt war, erzielte 38 Punkte, vier Rebounds und acht Assists. O’Neal steuerte zehn Punkte und ebenso viele Rebounds bei, konnte aber weder in der Defensive noch in der Offensive effektiv in das Vorgehen des Cavs eingebunden werden. Kevin Garnett glückte wiederum mit 13 Punkten, zehn Rebounds und drei Blocks die Rückkehr auf das NBA-Parkett. Phasenweise ähnelte er dem Kevin Garnett, den wir aus vergangenen Tagen kennen, so zum Beispiel als er mit 2:45 Minuten auf der Uhr im letzten Spielabschnitt einen schwierigen Fadeaway über Shaq hinweg traf. Andererseits musste er zuschauen, wie Jamerio Moon locker über ihn dunkte und selbst hämmerte er nach einem Fast Break den Ball lediglich auf den Ring.

In der zweiten Partie des Abends unterlagen die Dallas Mavericks den Washington Wizards ebenfalls vor heimischem Publikum. Es dauerte seine Zeit bis Dirk Nowitzki (34 Punkte, neun Rebounds) seinen Schuss fand, eine gute Quote (10-25 FG) konnte er am Ende dennoch nicht zustande bringen, und doch war es ihm zu verdanken, dass das Spiel nicht schon früher aussichtslos erschien. Es ist die bekannte Story, zu sehr haben sich seine Mitspieler auf Nowitzki verlassen, ohne selbst für die notwendige Entlastung in der Offense zu sorgen.
Übrigens kann ich die Diskussion um Nowitzkis Frisur, wobei der Deutsche in den US-Basketballmedien selten gut wegkommt, nicht nachvollziehen. Haben sich die Kollegen schon mal Mike Miller genau angeguckt? Scheinbar nicht, denn der hat mit Abstand die hässlichste Matte auf dem Kopf.
Neuzugang Shawn Marion zeigte, wie wertvoll er für die Mavs im Verlauf der Saison werden könnte, aber auch wie schwer es wird zu gewinnen, wenn er es nicht schaffen sollte entsprechende Leistungen abzuliefern. Er traf seine ersten drei Würfe, war in der Defensive sehr aktiv und verhalf Dallas zu einer früheren Sechs-Punkte-Führung. Danach verloren die Mavericks ihre Führung und mussten zusehen, wie die Wizards ihren Vorsprung kontinuierlich ausbauen, all das während Marion auf dem Feld stand. 16 Punkte, sieben Rebounds und drei Blocks standen am Ende auf seinem Konto, woran sicherlich nichts auszusetzen ist, aber besser machte er die Mannschaft nur in den ersten sieben Minuten des Anfangsviertels.
Überhaupt zeigten die Mavericks vor allem in der Defense eine schwache Leistung. Zu einfach wurde es Andray Blatche (20 Punkte) und Randy Foye (19 Punkte), die beide von der Bank kamen und stark aufspielten, ein ums andere Mal gemacht. Dabei kam Foye immer wieder zu freien Schüssen, weil Dallas nicht richtig rotierte und Blatche war zu oft nach einem Backdoor-Cut anspielbar, was ihm zu leichten Punkten am Brett verhalf.
Spieler der Begegnung war aber zweifelsohne Gilbert Arenas, der in den letzten zwei Jahren nur 15 Spiele absolvierte, gegen die Mavericks aber keine Mühe hatte zu zeigen, dass er zurück ist. 29 Punkte streute er ein und teilte zusätzlich noch neun Korbvorlagen aus. Er ist nicht mehr ganz so athletisch wie vor seiner Verletzung, was keinen wundern dürfte, aber immer noch schnell genug um an den Verteidigern der Dallas Mavericks vorbeizukommen.

Die Portland Trailblazers konnten im Gegensatz zu den Cavs und Mavs einen Heimsieg feiern. Erwartungsgemäß gewannen sie gegen die Houston Rockets, die derzeit ohne echten Star auskommen müssen. Entsprechend schwer werden es die Texaner haben in der Western Conference zu bestehen. Ohne Tracy McGrady und Yao Ming fehlt bisweilen ein Go-To-Guy. Aaron Brooks nahm sich dieser Rolle an, erzielte 19 Punkte und fünf Assists, blieb aber absolut kalt von außerhalb der Dreipunktelinie (0-6 3P). Auch Ariza (12 Punkte) scorte zweistellig, aber gegen richtig gute Teams haben diese Rockets einfach nicht genug Durchschlagskraft.
Brandon Roy (20 Punkte) und Travis Outlaw (23 Punkte), der dieses Jahr bester sechster Mann werden könnte, wenn er sein Potential endlich mal ausreizt, sorgten für die entsprechende Offense bei den Blazers, während sich Greg Oden (zwölf Rebounds, fünf Blocks) der Defense Vorrang gab.

Zu guter Letzt verloren die Los Angeles Clippers ohne ihren Star-Rookie Blake Griffin das Stadtderby gegen die Los Angeles Lakers. Zur Überraschung fiel die Niederlage nicht allzu hoch aus, sieben Punkte machten am Ende den Unterschied. Hätte Baron Davis nicht gerade eine miserable Nacht erwischt, in der er ganze zwei Punkte (1-10 FG) erzielte, dann wäre vielleicht mehr drin gewesen. Kobe Bryant brachte es im Gegenzug auf 33 Punkte, acht Rebounds und vier Steals, während Andrew Bynum 26 Punkte und 13 Rebounds, eine Leistung, die dieses Jahr von ihm erwartet wird. Auch Lamar Odem war am Ende zweistellig in den Kategorien Punkte (16) und Rebounds (13), einzig Ron Artest kann keine spektakulären Zahlen vorweisen, was man bei seiner neuen Rolle im Team der Lakers auch nicht erwarten sollte. Ron Ron ist die dritte oder vierte Option in der Offense von Phil Jackson, ein Luxus, den andere Teams nicht haben.

By Justin Cherot

Time to buckle down and finish these previews. Photo by Justin Cherot.

Admittedly, I need to take a headline writing course.  More importantly, I needed someone (cough, Colin, and by the way, you need to stop doing ’shrooms) to kick me in the head a couple of times and remind me that trying to do 30 previews player-by-player, while cool and original, just doesn’t fit into any normal, 40-hours-a-week person’s schedule.  While I did better than I did my first time trying this in 2006, I couldn’t even fit one measely playoff team into my previews.  For that, I apologize.  Oh well, live and learn.  Next year I promise to do better.

But, for now, we’re less than 20 hours away from a Washington Wizards’ ass-kicking (Go Mavs!), meaning I have to get these done in a timely manner.  This is what I propose: instead of over-analyzing the remaining 300 or so players I haven’t mentioned yet (apologies to J.J. Redick, J.J Barea, Daequan Cook and plenty of other non-starters I won’t have time to go into), I’ll give you the most important player (MIP) from all the remaining teams and why they fit into such a category.  Inevitably, some will be the “duh, even my daughter knows that this guy is the star of the team” players, and some will be those unsung guys whose team’s success hinges on whether or not they produce on a nightly basis.

So, for one last time, let’s ride.  After the next 2000 or so words, these NBA previews will no longer hold me hostage.  Now, where was I?

20. Memphis Grizzlies

MIP: Rudy Gay

If this team truly wants to take the next step from hype machine to legitimate playoff contender, Gay needs to take the reins of this team.  Yeah, O.J. Mayo , Zach Randolph  and boom or bust free agent pick-up Allen Iverson all need more attention (and shots) than him, but Gay, talent-wise, is the best and most versatile of this bunch.  His assertiveness has been in question before, ultimately costing him a national championship at UConn, but if he can step in and be more of a leader on the court, this team is too talented not to contend for a playoff spot.  The pieces are there, but like a trippy Dora the Explorer puzzle that seems like one thing until a shimmer of light hits it and then it looks completely different (not speaking from experience or anything), sometimes the pieces can be hard to put together… so hard in fact that sometimes they just refuse to fit.

19. Detroit Pistons   

MIP: Tayshaun Prince

On a team full of “get mine” guys–Ben Gordon, Richard Hamilton, Charlie “NitTwit” Villanueva and Will Bynum, to name a few– Prince just needs to keep being that versatile, lockdown defender he’s always been.  Yes, the faces are new and more offensive-minded, but Prince just has to be there to remind them that, contrary to popular belief over the past few years, there is still a “D” somewhere in Detroit.  If he can’t, it’ll be this simple: Etroit will miss the playoffs.

18. Philadelphia 76ers

MIP: Lou Williams

The Sixers have a very nice core, headlined by Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand, who I think is finally due for a relevant season after two seasons of nothingness.  However, the Sixers’ biggest move was letting Andre Miller walk without getting a true point guard to fill his shoes.  Williams is going to try his hand at the spot, but let’s face it: he’s definitely a two.  Coming from someone who had to do it at the high school level, trust me: it sounds easy to “learn” how to play the point, but guards are pretty much born into a position.  How he handles the transition from one to two is ultimately going to tell the story of whether or not Philly makes the playoffs.  And, as of right now, I just don’t see him doing well in this crash course, even if he does have Eddie Jordan pulling the strings for him.

17. New Orleans Hornets

MIP: Chris Paul

Denver Nuggets’ fans should be horrified right now.  Bill Simmons (book out tomorrow, a must-buy) wrote in his NBA previews (Part I here and Part II here) that the Nuggets were this year’s ”Last Season Everything Went Right; This Season Everything Went Wrong” Team.  Last year’s version?  The Hornets.  I knew it would happen, I even wrote it.  In my own words, in ‘07-’08 everyone except for CP3 played way above their heads.  Last season, everybody came back down to earth and they fell all the way to the seventh spot.  Paul needs to basically carry this team just for them to sneak into the playoffs this year, and he will do his best to urge this squad with questionable talent into doing big things.  Unfortunately, with the next team on the come-up, I just can’t see that happening.  But Paul will make it interesting into the final week of the season.

16. Los Angeles Clippers

MIP: Baron Davis

Does anybody remember this Baron Davis:

Funny, because if you’re a Clipper fan you hardly saw any of this last year.  Was it the injuries?  Was it his conditioning?  Was it his overall indifference because he felt betrayed by Elton Brand who, allegedly, begged him to come, only to sign with the Sixers?  Who knows?  What I do know is that apparently he’s in muuuuuuch better shape coming into this season, and I feel like the Davis of old will be back.  On paper, this roster suits his style of play perfectly, with high-flyers in Blake Griffin (when he comes back from a broken knee cap, of course) and Al Thornton and a young, budding backcourt-mate in Eric Gordon.  Guys, if Davis can stay healthy and on the court for 70, this is a playoff team.

15. Toronto Raptors

MIP: Chris Bosh

The rumors are swirling about where Bosh is going to be next season.  Fine.  That’s next season.  This season, the Raptors have a playoff roster on paper.  There’s no questioning CB4’s talent, but his gusto may eventually come into question (yeah, I went there, Chris Rock fans), especially if the Raptors come out of the gates slow.  However, as mentioned before, Bosh has plenty of talent around him.  The Hedo Turkoglu signing/Portland Trailblazer screwing takes a lot of pressure off of him, and it never hurts to have a pass- first point guard (Jose Calderon) and an emerging big guy who’s showing signs of “getting it” (Andrea Bargnani).  The Raptors probably don’t have enough talent in the long run to keep Bosh in cold Canada, but his last run with them should find them in the playoffs.

14. Miami Heat

MIP: Michael Beasley 

Side note before I get into Mr. “Be Easy” himself: the East has really closed the gap.  Hard to believe I have the Heat this low.  Anyway, we all know about Beasley’s off-the-court “stuff”, and anyone who knows me knows that it’s not that hard for me to relate to the troubled guys.  It’s all about getting past it, though.  If anything, Beasley needs to use the court as an outlet, because his team is going to need him to play like a No. 2 overall pick.  They already have arguably (it would be quite an argument but the point could be made) the best player in the NBA in Dwyane Wade and some good young p… okay, I won’t sugarcoat it: Miami is this high strictly because of Wade’s ability to flat-out bring it every night.  He just needs someone to bring it with him.  Beasley can definitely be that guy.  Or, he can just be satisfied with being the second coming of Derrick Coleman.

13. Washington Wizards

MIP: Gilbert Arenas

Okay, we all drank the “Wizards Are Better Off Without Hibachi” juice.  And then last year happened.  Granted, he wasn’t the entire reason they couldn’t even crack 20 wins last season, but needless to say he had a ton to do with it.  I’ve read so many “Gilbert Looking Good” stories this past summer and off-season that I think I’m about to vomit, but I do admit that his highlights throughout the pre-season have been promising.  It goes beyond numbers, though.  Even for a team that doesn’t lack swagger–hell, their second best player, Caron Butler, calls himself “Tuff Juice” for crying out loud–they need his “swagger on a hundred, thousand, trillion” voice out on the floor and in the locker room to succeed.  With their off-season improvements, I have them pegged as the East’s sixth seed right now (defense is a MF), but really the sky is the limit for this team if Gilbert really is the old Gilbert.

12. Chicago Bulls

MIP: Luol Deng

Gordon is gone from this bunch, so the Bulls will have to find someone to take and make all those big-time shots at the end of games.  It’s assumed that Derrick Rose is the guy who’ll step up and have the ball in his hands down the stretch, but he can’t do it all.  Somehow, the Bulls have to replace his 20 a game, and Deng is the likely candidate to put the biggest dent in that 20, if not go for 20 himself.  If he can return to ‘06-’07 form, then the Bulls may not even miss Gordon all that much (especially with new acquisition Jannero Pargo trying to actually BE Ben Gordon down the stretch of ball games).  It’ll be interesting to see if this young, talented bunch takes the next step… or if it remains stagnant like the old Baby Bulls (when Gordon and Kirk Hinrich and were considered young).

11. Phoenix Suns

MIP: Jason Richardson

Steve Nash has become one of the better facilitators in NBA history.  But his defense is non-existent.  Prior to the eye injury, Amare Stoudemire added a damn near automatic mid-range jump shot to his stellar athleticism.  But his defense is non-existent.  Neither player has ever been known for his great work on the “other” end.  But Richardson has.  In college, he was the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Year in his sophomore season.  With his great scoring numbers in the league, we forget that Richardson was at one time a really good defender.  Especially with Raja Bell gone, the Suns need him to re-capture that defensive energy while still maintaining his offensive output in order to compete in the West.  That’s a tall order for him, but he’s shown in the past he’s up to the task.

10. Utah Jazz

MIP: Andrei Kirilenko

It was only a couple of years ago when AK47 put up these numbers: 15.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.2 bpg, 1.5 spg.  That’s disgusting.  In his defense, how do you even go up from there?  While it’s true he never really found out for whatever reason, he really only needs to be a shade of his former self for the Jazz to get back into serious contention.  With second best point guard in the world Deron Williams running the show and Carlos Boozer (for now) holding the fort down inside, Kirilenko doesn’t even need to average double-digits.  If he just gets back to being that all-over-the-place player that made Jazz fans fall in love with him, then the Jazz could be really good.  However, if he reverts back to the “I Can’t Even Beat Out C.J. Miles” Kirilenko, then the Jazz might be in danger of missing the playoffs.  My guess is that they’ll be somewhere in between.

9. Atlanta Hawks

MIP: Jamal Crawford

One day when she’s old and wise, Cadence will use this gem to describe the intracacies of life to her kids and grandchildren: “Life is like a Jamal Crawford: you never know what you’re gonna get.”  Corny, probably, but oh so true.  How come a guy who can just go off for 50 at the drop of a hat has only averaged over 20 ppg once?  Weird.  Nonetheless, he can definitely help the Hawks take that next step.  Last year in the playoffs, it was clear that it was Joe Johnson or bust down the stretch.  Now, Atlanta has one of the best “give me the ^%$#in’ ball” players in the NBA to go along with a young and versatile front line in Crawford.  They can’t beat any of the East’s Big 3 yet, but their time will come.

8. Portland Trailblazers

MIP: Greg Oden  

Through all the injuries, all the foul trouble (3.9 per game is just an amazing number), all the columnist nit-picking, everything… Oden put up nine and seven last season while blocking a shot a night.  Off the bench.  Translation: at his absolute worst he’s better than a lot of centers in the league.  But, if the Blazers want to take the next step, it mainly falls on Oden to take the next step.  Brandon Roy is already there, becoming a much better NBA player than anybody thought he ever would, so what’s stopping Oden?  I know this team is still young, but with that whole low-salary cap threatening to happen, this almost seems like a make or break year for this squad.  And Oden.

7. Denver Nuggets

MIP: J.R. Smith

What I’m about to say is bold and controversial: Smith, talent-wise, is one of the top 10 offensive players in the NBA.  Why he hasn’t put it all together yet remains a mystery to me, but he may very well be my favorite player in the NBA to watch when he’s not playing the Mavericks.  He’s not off to the greatest of starts to this campaign, as he’ll be watching the first seven games in NBA dress code-friendly attire due to off-the-court problems.  The Nuggets need Smith to take pressure off of Carmelo Anthony, especially with Chauncey Billups not getting any younger.  Given that Smith starts the season on the bench and the Nuggets pretty much stood pat in the off-season, it’s safe for me to say that the Nuggs take a step back this season.

6. Dallas Mavericks

MIP: Dirk Nowitzki

You know, I think at some point tomorrow on my site I might publish a Long and Drawn Out Preview for the Mavs since they’re my favorite team and all, but that’s neither here nor there for right now (potential H1N1 cough, GO MAVS!!!!!!).  Look, I can take a few angles here in terms of MIP.  Josh Howard needs to get healthy (okay, so much for that in the near future); Shawn Marion needs to learn to fit in; Jason Kidd needs to find SOME way to be effective on the defensive end.  Truthfully, it starts and ends with Dirk.  He’s been great for both the Dallas franchise and the community and is a surefire Hall of Famer, but let’s face it: his leadership skills always come under fire, and fair or not, he needs to constantly play with that “now or never” mentality, because that’s what it’s come down to.  People are saying the window of opportunity for a title is closed.  If it’s open at all, he needs to jam his pinky in there and push up with all his might.

5. Boston Celtics

MIP: Kevin Garnett

Garnett is the archetypical MIP.  When they won the title, it was because of Garnett’s production and toughness.  When they flamed out against Orlando while an injured Garnett continually cursed up a storm to himself on the bench, it was because they missed Garnett’s production and toughness.  Theoretically, it would be nice if the old KG re-emerged and put up redonkulous numbers across the board, but, now that the Celts have Rasheed Wallace to spell him, they just need his intensity.  He’s the one who pushes Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo.  However, because I’m not completely sold on Garnett’s health, I just can’t have them higher than 3rd in the East right now.

4. San Antonio Spurs

MIP: Manu Ginobili

If you really think that Tony Parker and Tim Duncan are the most important Spurs, than you obviously missed the Mavericks dismantling the San Antonio in the playoffs last season.  Even as a diehard Mavs’ fan I can admit that Dallas goes from winning that series in five to losing that series in six if Ginobili is on the floor.  He’s not their best player, but he’s their sparkplug, their wildcard who can change a game at the drop of a dime.  He’s getting up there in age and he’s probably not as athletic as he was a few years ago, but if I was playing in a game where my life depended on the outcome, I’d want Ginobili.  As far as the Spurs go, I like their off-season moves, but please don’t try to sell me on Richard Jefferson as being anything more than the 4th option on offense in crunch time.  15 a game is his absolute ceiling this season.  PROP BET ALERT!!!  PROP BET ALERT!!!  I’ll take Anthony Morrow’s average over RJ this year.  Bet me, stupid.

3. Orlando Magic

MIP: Vince Carter

I wanted to put them back in the Finals soooo bad, because on paper they are 1) more fun to watch then the Cavalier’s stagnant 1-4 offense, and 2) Carter/Kobe to me is a more intriguing Finals match-up.  But, I digress.  Pundits give the Carter acquisition mixed reviews, but I’m definitely pro-Carter.  First off, he’s a million times better than Turkoglu, so he’s an upgrade.  Second, he’s playing in his home state for the first time ever, and third, while homecomings can be rough (see, Griffey, Jr., Ken and Marbury, Stephon) he’s going to a great situation where, for once, it doesn’t neccesarily have to be all about him.  He’s got the best center in the NBA (Dwight Howard), one of the best perimeter shooters (Rashard Lewis) and a guy he can share hair tips with (Marcin “Give Us Us Free” Gortat).  However, it’s a team better built for the regular season, and I think someone gets some revenge, and that person would be…

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

MIP: LeBron James

Colin… shut up and watch the greatness…

Unfortunately, much to your delight, I do not have that greatness translating into a title for Cleveland.  Good supporting cast at the guard spots (Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, Delonte West), bodies down low (Shaquille O’Neal, Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas) to stop Bynum and Gasol… but in the end, there’s really only…

1. Los Angeles Lakers

MIP: Kobe Bryant

True, Ron Artest is the biggest wildcard in the history of wildcards, the equivalent of AK vs. pocket 7s for every last dollar you own.  However, if anyone can tame the volatile Artest, it’s Bryant.  Say what you will about Bryant’s mileage, but at 31, he’s still got at least three more years of top five in the league-type play left in him.  That, plus the fact that he’s got arguably the best four man in the league in Pau Gasol and a steady cast of characters off the bench that just keep coming at you in waves, and what does that equal? 

Repeat.

BASKETBALL IS BACK, BABY!!!!!!

NBA Preview Archives

30. Sacramento Kings

29. New Jersey Nets

28. Milwaukee Bucks

27. Minnesota Timberwolves

26. New York Knicks

25. Oklahoma City Thunder

24. Houston Rockets

23. Charlotte Bobcats

22. Indiana Pacers

21. Golden State Warriors

1. San Anontio – A lot of people are really high on this team and I don’t blame them. If DeJuan Blair is as good as advertised then the NBA is in trouble. I feared that they lost defense when they traded Kurt Thomas and Bruce Bowen for Richard Jefferson but what they lost in defense and rebounds, they made up for in points. They are beatable though.

2. Dallas – hard not to like this team with the addition of Shawn Marion. In my book, Marion has the potential to be as good as Dirk and that is dangerous.

3. New Orleans – We know this team is good but how far can Emeka Okafor and Julian Wright push them?

4. Memphis – I know this is a bold place to put them and no, I am not putting them here because they are my favorite team. If Zach Randolph and Mike Conley can rebound then they will be deadly. Don’t forget Rudy Gay can play defense. This team needs depth.

5. Houston – no Yao, yikes. They wont be the worst team in the league, though.

NBA 2009-2010 Preview

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Divison

1. Boston Celtics
The storyline for this past NBA offseason was that the rich got richer.  This applies most for the Boston Celtics.  Two years ago, they added forward Kevin Garnett and guard Ray Allen.  This year, they added forwards Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels.  It’s very likely that this team gets off to a red-hot start, but I’m curious to see how this aging group progresses over the duration of the season.  Most of  the basketball world is also engrossed in seeing how disgruntled point guard Rajon Rondo performs in the wake of a summer where he was the focal point in many trade rumors.

2. Toronto Raptors
Chris Bosh bulked up this offseason.  That was only four years overdue.  They signed Hedo Turkoglu to a major contract.  That was a pretty solid move if you want to spend all your money on someone who can do nothing but shoot from the outside.  The worst part about it is, he knows he can’t do anything other than shoot from the outside.  He doesn’t try to do anything other than shoot from the outside.  This team is a mess.  Chris Bosh is on his way out after this year.  The only thing keeping them in the playoff picture is the thought that maybe they can conjure up some chemistry courtesy of underrated, yet spectacular point guard Jose Calderon

3. New York Knicks
The Knicks could very well be much higher than I have listed them when playoff time rolls around.  They’ve put together a solid core of role players and, with the exception of the male version of Aretha Franklin, Eddy Curry, all have accepted their position in Mike D’Antoni’s offense.  Forward Al Harrington is capable of going off for thirty points a night.  Center David Lee is looking to prove his worth as a consistent double-double threat.  There’s no reason for this team to tank, seeing as they don’t have a first round pick next summer.  Oh.  And they want to give that LeBron guy a reason to sign with them.

4. Philadelphia 76ers
This team is flying under the radar for the 2009-10 season.  Clearly, I don’t expect much out of them.  Most other analysts don’t expect much out of them; however, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they somehow ended up in the playoff picture.  They lost point guard Andre Miller to free agency, but if this team can stay healthy (particularly the richest bed-ridden man in America, Elton Brand), the Sixers could turn some heads.

5. New Jersey Nets
Did anyone know that in order to relocate your team, you must dispose of all its talent?  I didn’t, but apparently that’s the Nets’ mentality.  Their move to Brooklyn has been impending for four years now, and each year since then, they’ve gotten progressively worse.  The only names that stand out on this team anymore are Devin Harris and Brook Lopez, and those two are hardly recognized outside of die-hard basketball fans.

Central Division

1. Cleveland Cavaliers
The big news out of Cleveland this year came when the Cavs traded for “The Big Nomad,” Shaquille O’Neal.  In his initial press conference, he told the media his mission was to “Win a ring for the King,” however; LeBron James’ newfound help may come in the form of other acquisitions such as forwards JaMario Moon and Anthony Parker.  It was clear to see that this team underachieved last postseason.  This year, they’ll be on top of the Eastern Conference in the regular season, and may even possibly get the King his first ring.

2. Chicago Bulls
No one imagined the Bulls would be as good as they were last year.  Mid-season, they acquired guard John Salmons, who proved himself to be a bona fide scorer on a young, dynamic team.  This past summer, they didn’t do much to develop their team; in fact, they did nearly nothing at all other than refuse to resign guard Ben Gordon.  In not offering Gordon a contract, the Bulls assume they will improve their team chemistry as Gordon required at least twenty-five shots per game in order to be considered effective.

3. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons made some of the most useless moves professional basketball has ever seen this past season.  They spent $94 million on two guys (Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva) who are both sixth and seventh men, at best.  They freed up all their salary cap space last season by dumping their undisputed leader, Chauncey Billups, last season, and in return, all they got were two selfish, shoot-first role players.  The Pistons, like their city of origin, are a mess.

4. Indiana Pacers
This Pacer team will be dynamic.  They’ll score 120 points per night.  They’ll contend for a title.  They just won’t do it this year.  Their front office, headed by Larry Bird, is finally putting all the pieces in place.  They have a solid core of young athletes, and eventually, will be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference.  Let’s just hope none of their players get too fed up with losing and become impatient too soon, because this team will, in time, be very fun to watch.

5. Milwaukee Bucks
Their uniforms are just as ugly as their team’s chances to win twenty games

Southeast Division

1. Orlando Magic
Last season, the Magic surprised many people.  They had effective three-point shooting, devastating defenders, and a tempo that was hard to match.  When they faced the Lakers in June, however, it was apparent that they were missing a piece or two.  Whatever they lacked last season, they picked up for this season, as they traded for all-star forward Vince Carter.  Carter is someone who has always possessed the ability to create his own shot.  It will be interesting to see how he fits in, seeing as he’s never played on a team of this caliber.

2. Washington Wizards
In simple terms, the Wizards were forgotten about last season.  They were plagued by misfortunes and look to regain the success they had two seasons ago when they lost to Cleveland in the conference semi-finals.  With a healthy Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison, Washington could find itself deep into the playoffs once again.  The additions of pure point guard Randy Foye and sharp shooter Mike Miller from Minnesota don’t hurt either.

3. Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks have improved every year since they hired head coach Mike Woodson.  This year should be no different; however, since they’re playing in a much more competitive Southeast Division, it will be difficult for them to repeat their past successes.  Look for forward Josh Smith to be a frontrunner for the Defensive Player of the Year Award and his frontcourt mate Marvin Williams to contend for Most Improved.

4. Miami Heat
The Miami Wades were the most predictable team in the league last year.  Either their stellar shooting guard went for thirty points or they lost.  Look for them to continue that trend as they did nothing to change their team this summer.  If once impressive forward Jermaine O’Neal can get his act together, and sophomore Michael Beasley can successfully return from his recent stint in drug rehabilitation, this team may overachieve.  Either way, it’s not likely Dwyane Wade is in the black and red of Miami past this season.

5. Charlotte Bobcats
The Bobcats missed their calling when they refused to sign Allen Iverson.  AI could have been the answer, no pun intended, to Charlotte’s problems.  Iverson has already had experience with head coach Larry Brown, and, in spite of their past problems, the former all-star is now more mature and willing to sacrifice in order to see his first championship.  Regardless, the Bobcats traded center Emeka Okafor, who simply did not fit into their offensive scheme, for the more versatile Tyson Chandler.  This team is very capable of a playoff push late into the season.

Western Conference

Northwest Division

1. Utah Jazz:
Utah is one of the most underrated teams in the NBA. Deron Williams led them to a respctable 48-34, but they’ve only grown since. Williams, along with Paul Millsap and Mehmet Okur form a very powerful offense. Even if Carlos Boozer isn’t interested in playing, they an be successful without him. The big upside is, however, that Boozer is interested in signing somewhere, so when he plays he will do well.

2. Denver Nuggets
Last year, Carmelo Anthony put his name int a conversation that included LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Oh how quickly we forget. ‘Mello will definately be in the mix again this season, but we aren;t sure if the Nuggets got much better. Chauncey Billups and K-Mart add depth to that scoring. There are just too many teams growing where Denver isn’t… And that’s why they’ll lose their hold on the number one spot.

3. Portland Trailblazers
Even if last year was considered a dissappointment, it was a stepping stone. Their very young lineup learned what it’s like to win. The Trailblazers added Andre Miller to the LaMarcus Aldridge/Brandon Roy combination. That move alone could put the Blazers in contention. Add that to a healthy and more agressive Greg Odom, and Portland is starting to look like a team. Put Odom on your list for most improved player this season.

4. Oaklahoma City Thunder
Oaklahoma City has done well considering their situation. However, they are young and inexperienced. Kevin Durant puts on a good show for fans every night, and rookie James Harden has all the potential in the world. If they keep improving, they may even mae the playoffs in a year or two. Look for the Thunder to keep it exciting this year – they will be that “close but no cigar” team all season.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves
If their offseason was any indication, Minnesota isn’t going far. Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington may pan out in the long run but it’s hard to see anything but big names with no chemistry. The Ricky Rubio disaster is just a distraction for fans. There is some hope – picking up Ramon Sessions was a definate upgrade.

Southwest Division

1. San Antonio Spurs:
San Antonio needed to add a missing piece. Antonio McDyess needed a place to land. Both got a big break. Getting McDyess to compliment Tony Parker was a great idea. DeJuan Blair was a bad pickup, and he won’t have enough playing time to even matter. Parker, Tim Duncan, and Richard Jefferson are going to prove that they have this team in their hands… Especially because they may only have a year or two to do it.

2. New Orleans Hornets:
Chris Paul is a one-ma recking crew, and he alone can make or break the Hornets.  CP3 is the best point guard in the league, but it’s just not enough to win a championship. Paul won’t benefit from losing his better half in Tyson Chandler, but someone in the front office must like Emeka Okafor. If Okafor is a bust, Paul still has David West to dish off to. Even with the miscues built in, New Orleans is still ahead of most in the Southwest division.

3. Dallas Mavericks:
With the baby momma problems behind him, Dirk Nowitzki is in the spot light. Ultimately, his successes will make the Mavericks great again. Jason Kidd is too old to be considered a factor, but that difference can be made up if Josh Howard steps up his game from last year. Drew Gooden and Shawn Marion make excellent additions, but the Mavs will still be perennial underachievers. Maybe this year someone will duct tape Mark Cuban’s mouth shut.

4. Houston Rockets:
Houston just doesn’t have what it takes. Adding Trevor Ariza was a good start, but he can only do so much for a team that needs so much more help. And don’t be mistaken, he is not a number one scoring machine. Yao Ming is still out, and Tracy McGrady begins this year injured, so as of right now there’s not one player who averaged over 15 points per game last season.

5. Memphis Grizzlies
Mephis sis the most to assure that they would be competitive this seasn, but they ended up with too big of a personality pool. The Allen Iverson experiment should be the least of their concerns. OJ Mayo is explosive, but not mature enough to run a team, and Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph are way to inconsistant to help out. Don’t be fooled into thinking Hasheem Thabeet is the answer… He isn’t designed for offense at all.

Pacific Division

1. L.A. Lakers:
You want to know how good the Lakers are? Just look at their starting five. Derek Fischer, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and new aquisition Ron Artest may be the best lineup in the league. They are so good, they have Lamar Odom on the bench! The 2009 champions aren’t relying on Kobe anymore; instead they are giving him many more options. In such a lame division, the Lakers take it easily.

2. Phoenix Suns:
The Suns showed some signs of life towards the end of last year, but they lost Shaq in the offseason. As much as he horses around, Shaq is an important part of play on both sides of the ball. Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire will continue to be a great duo, but outside of them the team looks bleak. Grant Hill is aging, and this year he may start showing it. They did muster the number one offense in the league, so they cant be that bad can they? Just good enough for second place.

3. Golden State Warriors:
Out of the three bottom feeding teams in this division, the Warriors have the most room to grow. Their lineup is young and now supplemented with Stephen Curry. The key is getting the kids to grow up together, instead of in their own seperate ways. They do have the potential to put up some poins, but defense will kill them in the end.

4. L.A. Clippers:
Blake Griffen won’t fix this team, but he sure can try. Behind Eric Gordon and Al Thornton, the Clippers offense seems recharged. Griffen should help them capitalize on those missed shots. This season will be a success if they hit 30 wins.

5. Sacremento Kings:
Yes, they drafted well. But the Kings needed more thank Tyreke Evans to make themselves a contender. Evans and Kevin Martin still won’t let the Kings be better than mediocre.

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

So the teams have been drafted for the 2009-2010 Fantasy Draft and here are the rosters.

The Teams:

The Custodian:

The Custodian expects LBJ23 to produce this season, will he? probably. Will the guy on his team watching him produce? probably not.

• Steve Nash
• Kevin Durant
• Joe Johnson
• LeBron James
• Pau Gasol
• Al Jefferson
• Brook Lopez
• Elton Brand
• Devin Harris
• Gerald Wallace
• Josh Smith
• OJ Mayo
• Mo Williams

The Franchise:

The Franchise followed the book and took Chris Paul with the #1 pick.

• Chris Paul
• Brandon Roy
• Chauncey Billups
• Carmelo Anthony
• Dirk Nowitzki
• Tim Duncan
• LaMarcus Aldridge
• Carlos Boozer
• Paul Pierce
• Caron Butler
• Rudy Gay
• Tony Parker
• Blake Griffin

The Freelancer:

Will Dwayne Wade bring victory to the Freelancer?

• Dwayne Wade
• Danny Granger
• Andre Iguodala
• Antawn Jamison
• Chris Bosh
• Kevin Garnett
• Troy Murphy
• Mehmet Okur
• Gilbert Arenas
• Rashard Lewis
• Shawn Marion
• Ray Allen
• Nene

The Champ (Pippen Ain’t Easy)

Kobe Bryant leads a stellar squad of studs which almost certainly ensures victory for the Champ

• Deron Williams
• Kobe Bryant
• Kevin Martin
• Vince Carter
• Amar’e Stoudemire
• David West
• Dwight Howard
• David Lee
• Jose Calderon
• Derrick Rose
• Hedo Turkoglu
• Jason Kidd
• Allen Iverson

Well, that sucked.

I HATE the second half of the NBA offseason. You know, the part after the big-name free agents sign deals and…well, next week. While we’re technically in the preseason right now, the preseason still isn’t very fun. I like to see how teams look, but that doesn’t really mean much. Teams are busying themselves trying to see who the last man on the bench will be and who will be cut, traded, or sent to the D-league to grow (skills-wise or physically). This doesn’t help me figure out how PF minutes will be given to both Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap, but I’ll find out soon enough.

In case you didn’t notice from my lack of posts, the part of my brain meant for basketball stuff took a break for a few months and offered help to its neighbors. The competitive part of my brain reminded the basketball part that our fantasy basketball draft is this weekend, a mere few days from now. I’ve definitely thought about basketball the entire time, but I haven’t given it a good long thought. This is probably just a by-product of the Rockets having less of a chance for a title this year than the usual long shot chance (see: not gonna happen). Still, there are a few questions that a fan of the NBA-at-large like me has on his mind.

Which teams improved after the trade/free agency arms race? Which teams actually got worse with their attempts to get better?

A lot of major players went to teams already in good shape to contend for the championship. Rasheed Wallace being a big help in Boston is one thing I’m fairly sure of. Adding an extra veteran big man who knows what it takes to win a title to a team not-so-far removed from winning a title seems like a win-win to me. If Doc can control the technical fest that’s bound to break out (‘Sheed and Garnett should amass about 25 techs between them…I’ll set the over/under at 22), he could have another title run on his hands. With next year’s salary cap concerns, will the Celtics look to deal Ray Allen as rumored this past offseason to inject some youth into the roster? This year could be the last legitimate run for these Celtics before another wave of mediocrity and self-loathing in Boston.

Orlando will have a healthy Jameer Nelson back that was a certified All-Star before his shoulder injury last season, and adding Vince Carter will make for an explosive backcourt. Carter will make Turkoglu’s departure easier to stomach for the Magic because I really don’t think Turkoglu does anything that Vince cannot (unless Turk can win in Toronto, of course). I did like Courtney Lee in the Magic offense though, and I wouldn’t bank on Matt Barnes filling in as easily. For their sake, I hope Brandon Bass can log effective minutes at power forward, relieving the pressure Rashard Lewis has on him to play bigger (and be bigger).

The Cleveland Cavaliers is the best team with the most questions surrounding it. How will Shaq fit into the offense? Will LeBron stay if they don’t win the title? Can Shaq stay healthy? Will Delonte West take his medication? Who will get traded next? Did any of these moves make them better against Orlando? I mean, Shaq didn’t exactly have his best moments against Dwight Howard last year. Will LeBron banish more non-NBA athletes from his kingdom? Did Delonte ever get his chicken wings (NSFW)?!? For a team that was favored by many to win the title a mere six months ago, that’s a lot of question marks.

In the West, the San Antonio Spurs seem to be flying under the radar as usual. Unlike in years past, this is likely due to the fact that the team looked really old late last season (and not in the distinguished Sidney Poitier sort of way). They moved in slow-motion, the play was sloppy, Manu hobbled off of screens, and Tim Duncan had trouble banking turnaround jumpers off the glass while leaning on a walker. Gregg Popovich will likely use extreme caution with his stars during the year to keep them as fresh as possible for the playoffs. Rookie DeJuan Blair looked great in the preseason, and could be able to play more minutes than he’ll probably get from the start. The addition of Richard Jefferson will be a nice breath of fresh air, especially given the fact that he doesn’t miss games very often. Jefferson has played all 82 games the past two seasons. Antonio McDyess should aid in keeping Duncan fresh also, and he doesn’t miss many games, either (remember, he missed time last season after sitting out after being traded, cut, and re-signing with Detroit).

The Dallas Mavericks made a valiant effort to get Marcin Gortat from Orlando, even using Brandon Bass as a distraction. Well, that didn’t turn out well for them, so they settled for…Shawn Marion? I wasn’t a huge fan of this more because more than anything else the Mavericks need help at center, not on the wing. Unless they finally decide to deal Josh Howard for a big man, I’m not completely sure what that move accomplished. I suppose they could say “hey, F it, let’s run Dirk at center and score a bunch of points,” but that type of basketball doesn’t translate well to the playoffs.

Still, the team to beat in my eyes is still the Lakers. NO, I’m not just saying that because they won the title, I’m saying it because they won the title (in decisive fashion) and got better. They kept the squad together, have a healthy Andrew Bynum to start the year, and essentially traded Trevor Ariva for Ron Artest. All things considered, the Ron Artest experiment was a success in Houston (Rockets fans, send your hate mail to flagrantfoulsATgmailDOTcom), and Artest is a better offensive player than Ariza is. The one player that seemed to get to Artest this season in Kobe Bryant is now his teammate, so he should be fine, right? RIGHT? I suppose we’ll see on that one. Also, I hope Lamar Odom can focus on his primary job after his recent marriage to a reality star. That really seems to be working out well for Hank Baskett, right? Reggie Bush, take notes; I know you’re with the fine one, but tread lightly, young brotha.

I have some more questions looming in my head, and I’ll roll a few of them out here as we approach the start of the 2009-2010 NBA season. Have a question that’s sticking with you about the upcoming season? Shoot me an email or leave a comment, and we’ll discuss.

Size matters in the NBA, but that doesn’t always mean bigger is better. Small is a size, too.

And when it comes to lineups, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle believes in diversity. Yes, he likes to have big men in the game. Most NBA champions have a strong inside presence.

But he also likes to use a three-guard lineup and has done so frequently in the preseason, especially with J.J. Barea occupying one of the spots. The 6-foot Puerto Rican has played 80 minutes in the three exhibitions, behind only Dirk Nowitzki (81 minutes) and Jason Kidd (83).

Barea’s been on the court with Kidd and either Jason Terry or rookie Roddy Beaubois a lot.

“I love it,” Barea says. “I love playing with point guards at the same time. It makes the job a lot easier for all of us. It gets the ball moving, and I like that.”

Until Beaubois gains some experience, Barea figures to keep the job of backing up Kidd. But it can be argued that he’s at his best when playing with Kidd, which allows Barea to look for his shot more. Throw in Terry and the smallish backcourt instantly gives the Mavericks plenty of offense in support of Nowitzki, Shawn Marion or whoever else is on the floor.

… for more visit dallasnews/mavericks briefs

This is another guest post by my buddy Julian. Like me, he’s a huge NBA fan in Toronto, so he has a lot to say about the Raptors. He’s previously written about their offense and their defense, from a bit of an optimistic point of view. Now, he’s going to take a step back and look at what obstacles stand in the way of the Raptors’ success in 2009-2010. Enjoy. Also, tell him to start tweeting again – he may as well delete his twitter account at this point.

With all of the new faces in Raptors training camp this season, there are many reasons for fans to be positive, especially considering the terrible 08-09 campaign. Bench issues have been addressed, and arguably, more talent has been added to the starting lineup. While visions of sugar plum second-rounds are dancing in many a fan’s head, it’s important to look at the multitude of ways that this season could go sideways. The eternal optimist in me says that the Raptors will have an incredible, unexpected level of success this season, but that is probably not going to happen, and there are going to be a number of reasons why. Essentially, this article is going to look at the pitfalls and perils that are most likely to hinder the Raptors this coming season.

Rebounding

Rebounding is going to be a very big issue for the Raptors. They simply do not have good enough rebounders to do well in this department. Jermaine O’Neal wasn’t a great rebounder, but he was better than Bargnani, and Shawn Marion, who was an excellent rebounder at the 3, was a much better rebounder than Hedo Turkoglu. While people may mention that we picked up Reggie Evans, he simply cannot see too much court time next season. His PER numbers and TS% numbers over the past few seasons have been terrible (Career averages 11.6 PER and 50% TS%). When you put Reggie Evans in the game, you hurt yourself in a different way. He’s a useful role-player who is able to change the dynamic of the team when he is in, but I don’t think he should receive more than 15 minutes a game.

Amir Johnson has something to prove, and is also a good per-minute rebounder. He hasn’t received all that much time in his young career, and he has upside. Detroit tried to push his development along by inserting him into the starting lineup, but it didn’t go all that well. His problem was fouling at an inordinate rate, which hindered his ability to stay on the floor. The interest in Amir is that he is athletic and tall, finishes well, and can rebound. Those are talents that the Raptors could definitely use, so watch for Amir to get some time to prove that he can play. This franchise would like to see him reach his full potential, but then again, so did the Pistons.

The guard positions are not great for the Raptors either. Jose Calderon doesn’t rebound very well, even by guard standards, and neither do Marco Belinelli or Antoine Wright. DeMar DeRozan represents an interesting opportunity for the Raptors, as his college rebounding numbers were pretty impressive. 5.7 rebounds in 33 minutes is good for a guard. Projecting stats from College to the Pros is very dubious, so take that with a grain of salt.

Prognosis: The Raptors still have a rebounding problem. With Shawn Marion leaving and Bargnani playing center I don’t really see the Raptors doing very well in this regard. Expect nights where the Raps play good defence and shoot the ball well, but still end up losing due to a big chasm in the rebounding totals.

Defense

This is something that I’ve talked about in my prior article, and many different things have to go right in order for the Raptors to be good (read: top 10) defensively in the upcoming season. Firstly, the defense at the big positions needs to be a lot better. Jermaine O’Neal was the Raptors’ best big-man defender last season, and he is no longer with the team. Bargnani and Bosh, while not absolutely awful defenders, are not “anchor” material. Bosh has made a big deal out of getting physically larger this season, and one would hope that that would translate to better defense. Bargnani has also added weight, and has been working on his inside game this off-season. Things need to get much better, however, especially seeing as the Raptors want to play both of them on the court for long periods of time, due to their huge offensive potential. If Bargnani and Bosh don’t get better, expect a lot of layups this season. When players aren’t afraid of what is waiting for them at the rim, they are much more likely to take it inside, which is obviously the worst type of shot to give up.

At the two guard and small forward positions there are also a few question marks. Jose Calderon has just come off an admittedly terrible defensive season, and has used the summer to rehabilitate his hamstring. He has never been a particularly stalwart defender, however, and he should still see 30+ minutes every night, backed up by Jarrett Jack. At the shooting guard position, there are a few options. Marco Belinelli, DeMar DeRozan, Jarrett Jack and Antoine Wright are all candidates to play the shooting guard position, and there are only 48 minutes available at that spot. Jarrett Jack is a solid defender, Belinelli is a decent defender and Antoine Wright started part of last season with the Mavericks due to his defensive prowess. DeMar DeRozan is a bit of a mystery, but he certainly has the tools to become a very good defender. At the Small forward position, Hedo Turkoglu figures to get the lion’s share of the minutes, and he is an okay defender. He is long and tall for his position, but is a little slow, especially when guarding smaller players. His defensive awareness is good as well, and rarely does he look completely overmatched by the player he is guarding.

Prognosis: The team has a lot of work to do on the defensive end. They have a couple of players that can play great defense, but the problem is that a lot of them are bench players who don’t have much to offer on the offensive end.

Injuries

I know that injuries are very difficult to predict unless a player is chronically injured, but I don’t think I need to remind Raptor fans that the injury bug can strike at any time and nothing de-rails a team faster than a key injury to one of their top guys. There are, however, some legitimate concerns when it comes to the Raptors this season, at least in the short term. While the early reports are that Jose Calderon has completely healed his hamstring, there is a possibility that it isn’t 100% and it could be re-aggravated during the season. Bosh also has a tweaked hammy, and has a habit of breaking down as the season wears on. Hedo Turkoglu, the Raptors’ big offseason acquisition has a knee injury that is said to be minor (aren’t they always?), and is suffering from fatigue having taken very little time off this summer.

Prognosis: There are no major injury concerns with this team, and the Raptors do have much more depth this season, which should help out if anyone goes down with injury.

Hedo Doesn’t Work Out

A big question in the minds of some of the skeptics is whether Hedo Turkoglu will be able to duplicate the year he had two seasons ago, when he set career highs in PPG, PER, assists and rebounding. This past season was not as good as that season, as Hedo was not nearly as efficient. Hedo may be a very talented player, but there is no question that he isn’t very consistent, and his play doesn’t just vary game-to-game, but also quarter-to-quarter and season-to-season. Which Hedo will the Raptors get? Will it be the efficient Hedo that we saw two seasons ago, or will it be the 2-16 (FG-FGA) Hedo that showed up in many Magic games last season? The chemistry that Hedo had with Dwight Howard was incredible, and their pick and roll was one of the Magic’s best offensive weapons. Hedo would hook up with Howard via an alley-oop, often in spectacular fashion. Hedo also played into the Magic’s gameplan, because a lot of the time, some of the off-balance shots that Turkoglu would put off the rim would actually be “assists” to Dwight, who would get the offensive rebound and put it back in. There is always the chance that things don’t gel as well as they did in Orlando with Hedo, because Bosh, while a very talented offensive player, isn’t exactly the type of guy you can throw 12-foot high lobs to and expect him to throw it down, nor is he the dominant offensive rebounder that turns every miss into a make.

Prognosis: It will be interesting to see how well Turkoglu will work here in Toronto, because he is not the most reliable player. It seems to be feast or famine with Turkoglu; on his best nights, he is hitting shots from all over the floor, making plays and creating mismatches, and at his worst, is hogging the ball and shooting you out of the game. The Raptors need a whole lot more of the former.

Bargnani Regresses

I think this is one of the nightmares many fans have going into this season. Bargnani looked incredible last season, shooting a career high 56% TS%, getting 15+ PPG, and finishing the year with 3 straight months of ~20 ppg scoring. Many fans and people with the organization believe that he’s out of the woods, and that he won’t go back to the horrific stretch of play that he had in the 07-08 season, but are we being a little too premature? Bargnani had a very bad summer for the Italian national team, where he scored a meagre 10.3 PPG on 40% shooting, including going 2/13 from 3-point range. The Italian coach was admittedly very poor, and there was a rift between the player and his coach (not dissimilar to the Bargnani/Smitch situation?), and Bargnani pulled no punches when he talked to the Italian papers about it. Bargnani seems to have some motivation issues, which can turn into morale issues, so the question is whether he can be motivated and positive enough to continue to play hard even when he has an inevitable stretch of bad games.

Prognosis: While the chances of Bargnani going back to suck-mode Bargnani that we saw in ‘07/’08 is slim, the potential is certainly still there. Jay Triano still has to work his magic with the big man, and give him a clear, defined role, as well as plenty of minutes to prevent a repeat of two seasons ago.

Conclusion

I believe that there are a number of ways that the Raptors could self-destruct this season, but that doesn’t mean that they WILL. There will be many things that will go right for the Raptors, and those things may be able to cancel out, and overtake some of the weaknesses of the club. Also, some of these weaknesses may not even be weaknesses at all! Hedo may work just fine, and Bargnani could have a stellar season and there could be no significant injuries to any of the star players. This is simply a list of the most likely things that could hamper the Raptors’ season. At the end of the year, if the Raptors fail to make any significant progress, I think that at least a few, if not all of these factors will have come into play.

Note to future NBA franchise owners: don't listen to nerds.

History:

The Toronto Raptors are one of the younger franchises in the NBA, but they have had some success, namely drafting Vince Carter in the 1998 Draft. Of their fourteen seasons, they have had five winning seasons, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but they are just two shy of matching the Clippers’ number of winning seasons, who have been around for thirty nine seasons.

The Toronto Terriers: not remotely terrifying.

The Raptors were a unique addition to the NBA: they, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, were the first Canadian teams and Toronto was the first to be buoyed by a bunch of nerds. Allow me to explain that last part. Many people wonder about the origin of the Raptors’ team nickname, but very few know the true story. As most new franchises decide to enter the league, they usually hold a naming contest to help generate excitement for the new team and ease pressure on the marketing executives to pick a good team name. Toronto was no exception, receiving over 2,000 different entries. A shortlist of the ten “best” ideas were released to the public: Beavers, Bobcats, Dragons, Grizzlies, Hogs, Raptors, Scorpions, T-Rex, Tarantulas, and Terriers. If only our exclusive “Inside the Name” series had been released many years ago to aid their decision, they would have eliminated lame names like the Beavers, Hogs (apparently, one of Toronto’s nicknames is “Hogtown”), and Terriers, but even without our groundbreaking series, they seemed to be heading in the right direction with the slew of terrifying nicknames at their disposal.

Alas, the “Raptors” moniker was chosen for the popularity of the Jurassic Park movie, which was released in 1993, which nerds embraced with open arms. In the seven months that followed the team name announcement in 1994, the Raptors were seventh in merchandise sales, despite the fact that they had not even played a single game. My suggestion to future NBA franchises: while this was a success story (largely because “the Raptors” is such a badass team nickname), don’t listen to nerds, or else we’ll end up with terrible, terrible names, like the Vancouver Vampires or the Honolulu Harry Potters.

Don't let this guy be the face of your franchise.

In the 1995 Draft, the Raptors selected Damon Stoudamire, who went on to win Rookie of the Year during the 1995-96 season, but had a typical expansion team finish, going 21-61. In 1996, they drafted Marcus Camby, but the team’s record only improved marginally. In 1997, they drafted future All-Star Tracy McGrady, and General Manager Isaiah Thomas resigned later in the season after a failed attempt to gain ownership of the team, leading Stoudamire to ask for a trade. The Raptors obliged, sending Stoudamire to the Portland Trailblazers, who at the time were perennial playoff contenders, with two other players in exchange for three players, two first-round draft picks, a second-round draft pick, and “Paints in the Point”’s favorite element of any trade: cash. When one of the three players traded to the Raptors, Kenny Anderson, refused to report to Toronto.

Is trading cash nothing more than selling people? Probably, but who cares, really?

Toronto traded Anderson to Boston with two other players, in exchange for four players, including a young Chauncey Billups and 1991 Slam Dunk Contest champion Dee Brown. Fun Fact: Kenny Anderson is now the head coach of The Hombres, a Slamball team. Slamball, of course, being the league that combines basketball and trampolines, which televised its games on Cartoon Network before it was unexpectedly yanked from the schedule.

A delightful Dee Brown no-look dunk that decidedly determined the winner of the 1991 Dunk Contest.

The Raptors’ inexperience (they were the youngest team in the NBA for some time) led to another disappointing season. In 1998, the Raptors selected Antawn Jamison, but traded it to Golden State for Vince Carter, and the franchise was never the same again. Carter went on to win Rookie of the Year in the 1998-99 season, as the Raptors improved their winning percentage to four games under .500.

The 1999-2000 season had many highlights for the Raptors: the team moving out of the SkyDome (now the Rogers Centre) and into the Air Canada Centre, Carter winning the Slam Dunk Contest, and their first playoff appearance (but lost to the Knicks in the first round). Unfortunately, after the 2000 season, McGrady (considered by The Custodian as a contender to be “the next Jordan”), decided to play closer to his family in Florida, and he was involved in a sign-and-trade deal, sent to the Magic in exchange for a first-round draft pick. Vince Carter traveled to the 2000 Olympics, only to be interrupted by Kanye West:

The second-most embarrassing part of the Summer Olympics for the French National Basketball Team.

The Raptors made the playoffs easily in the 2000-01 season, defeating New York in the first round and taking Philadelphia (who at the time had Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo) to seven games, losing after Carter barely missed a three-point shot.

Before the 2001-02 season, the Raptors made long-term agreements with players, in addition to signing veteran Hakeem Olajuwon, with the hopes of keeping Carter around for another season. The Raptors (barely) reached the playoffs for the third consecutive year, despite Carter having an injury during the second half of the season, but lost in the first round. Carter continued to have injury problems over the next few seasons and demanded a trade prior to the 2004-05 season. The Raptors traded Carter to the New Jersey Nets for three players (including Alonzo Mourning) and two future first-round picks. Chris Bosh, drafted in the 2003, improved after Carter’s departure, but Toronto finished the season with a losing record.

The 2005-06 season was a rebuilding year, as the Raptors attempted to recover from the loss of Carter. They selected Andrea Bargnani with the first selection of the 2006 Draft, and they reached the playoffs the following season, winning the Atlantic Division. Chris Bosh was selected as a starter for the All-Star Game. They ended up losing to the Nets in the first round, in six games.

The Raptors managed to return to the playoffs during the 2007-08 season, despite injuries to many of their key players throughout the season. Before last season, Toronto traded three players to Indiana for Jermaine O’Neal, but the Raptors were still too inconsistent to contend, and O’Neal was traded midseason, along with Jamario Moon to the Miami Heat for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.

2008-2009 Record: 33-49, 4th place in Atlantic Division, 13th place in Eastern Conference

Coach: Jay Triano

Projected Lineup:

• Jose Calderon, PG
• Marco Belinelli, SG
• Hedo Turkoglu, SF
• Chris Bosh, PF
• Andrea Bargnani, C

Key Gains:

• Hedo Turkoglu: The biggest gain by Toronto this offseason is the free agent signing of Hedo Turkoglu. While he’s destined to fit in nicely with Bosh, Bargnani, and the Raptors’ style of play, will his points per game remain in the upper teens? The Custodian weighs in on this very subject in the “Turkoglu Turnover,” our post reacting to Hedo signing with the Raptors.
• DeMar DeRozan: Toronto’s first-round draft pick this year, DeRozan comes straight outta Compton (after a brief stop a few miles up the road at USC) and into the tundra of Toronto. I’ve seen DeRozan play, and I really like his athleticism and predict (with some bias) that he will develop quite nicely within the Raptors’ system.
• Reggie Evans: Traded one-for-one for Jason Kapono, will Evans continue his rebounding ways up north?
• Marco Belinelli, Antoine Wright, Jarrett Jack, Rasho Nesterovic, Amir Johnson, Sonny Weems: All of these players were brought in to entice Chris Bosh into staying with Toronto after he becomes eligible for free agency this season. Will these players harm more than help? Will Chris Bosh recognize the aggressive moves the management has made and choose to stick around beyond the end of this season?

Key Losses:

• Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, Nathan Jawai: In addition to cash, these were the casualties of the deal that brought Devean George (who was then subsequently dealt for Macro Belinelli) and Antoine Wright to Toronto. Will the Raptors miss Marion, or will Belinelli and Wright fill the 13 points per game hole left by Shawn’s departure?
• Jason Kapono: Tied for the most-accurate three-point shooter in NBA history, will Toronto miss this outside threat, or will his trade counterpart, Reggie Evans, help the Raptors more than Kapono did?
• Anthony Parker: A versatile player and decent three-point shooter over the past few years, Parker was erratic last year, seeing a drop in performance, so the Raptors allowed him to enter free agency, where he was snapped up by Cleveland. Will the Raptors regret this decision?
• Roki Ukic, Carlos Delfino: Ukic wasn’t that much of a threat this past season and Delfino’s last season was spent in Russia. I don’t see these two losses being particularly harmful to Toronto.

Should the aggressive acquisitions made by Toronto this offseason fail to work out for some reason, or if injuries plague the team this year, Toronto stands to lose much, as this is not the year for unlucky circumstances to occur. Keeping Chris Bosh is the only way that Toronto can continue to improve over the next few years, so it is critical that these deals work out (for more about Chris Bosh, read The Custodian’s article “Take On Me”). However, I predict that this will not occur, and the Raptors will significantly improve, allowing them to make the playoffs this year.

Quotes:

“I ain’t going to Toronto. No ifs, ands or buts. However you want to put it, that’s out. They can breach it. They can do whatever they want to do. I just ain’t going. Maybe it’s a three-way, but I ain’t going to Toronto.”

—Kenny Anderson, on rumors that he may be traded to Toronto.
[When he was, in fact, traded to Toronto,
Anderson refused to report and was
subsequently traded to Boston.]

“It’s going to be real tight for me to consider Toronto. There’s just a lot of stuff that’s not right.”

—Vince Carter, on whether or not he would consider Toronto
after becoming a free agent after the 1999-2000 season.

Recap:

1. Sacramento Kings
2. Washington Wizards
3. Los Angeles Clippers
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
7. Golden State Warriors
8. New York Knicks
9. Toronto Raptors

by Jack Maidment

So apart from the fact that they have the most divisive owner in the entire NBA, what else do the Dallas Mavericks have to arrest your attention?

Sure everyone is talking about the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs are also receiving a large amount of heat. Even the Portland Trailblazers, Orlando Magic and the Denver Nuggets are at the very least on people’s Championship radar. Dallas Mavericks as actual viable contenders? Not for most people.

Since their capitulation in the Finals against Miami swiftly followed by their, uh, capitulation to the Golden State Warriors the Mavericks are very much the NBA’s forgotten team.

They make the Western Conference Semi Finals and yet are rewarded by just about no faith in their ability to go any further this coming season. Boston, LA and Cleveland closely followed by San Antonio, Portland, Orlando, maybe Denver. It will be one of those teams that gets their hands on Larry in June.

And yet.

The core that pushed Denver so close returns with the exception of their back up big man Brandon Bass who has signed with the Magic. That means that the best scoring power forward in the NBA today, Dirk Nowitzki, will try to lead a squad forward that has done just about nothing but improve since their exit in the 2009 playoffs.

The Spurs may have added Richard Jefferson. The Cavaliers may have added Shaquille O’Neal. But don’t sleep on the move that the Mavs made to bring Shawn Marion to Dallas this off season.

Regardless of his past two seasons in which his production has suffered as a result of changing locations and team members The Matrix remains one of the most versatile players in the League today. A combination of size, quickness and athleticism realistically allow Marion to cover any player on the floor and create a tricky match up problem on offense. Points, rebounds, assists, steals. You name it, Marion does it.

Imagine the unique skills of the former Phoenix Sun and imagine the possibilities of him playing with Jason Kidd on the fast break.

Now imagine the offensive capabilities of a squad made up of Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and JJ Barea.

The one piece that the Mavericks lack is a legitimate athletic big man to hold down the middle as was exposed by the ultra mobile front three of the Denver Nuggets in last years playoffs. Marion’s defensive prowess helps relieve this problem slightly, but the lack of absolutely quality big men in the West and the league in general should allow the Mavs to live with the best teams in the paint.

They will hope that their offense can counteract their defensive deficiencies.

Will the Mavericks win the title next year? The talent on their roster suggests that writing them off completely would be foolish and such a dismissal would only put you in the horrible position to receive an ‘I told you so’ from Sports Most Gracious Owner, Mark Cuban, if Dallas prove everybody wrong.

I’m playing it safe.

The Players

Hedo Tukoglu

Turkoglu joins the Raptors this season as the most talented small forward since Vince Carter.

Antoine Wright

Demar Derozan

Sonny Weems

The Story

The biggest free agent acquisition of the off-season arrives in Toronto with the hopes and dreams of Raptor fans pinned to his #26 jersey.  Hedo Turkoglu will be the starting small forward on opening night and after that the picture is a little less clear.  Gone are Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker, Joey Graham, Jason Kapono and Shawn Marion who all occupied this position at various points during  last season.

Turkoglu comes in as the most talented player to ever play the small forward position for the Raptors since the days of #15 and finally provides some stability at the wing.  He brings consistency to a position that hasn’t had any for a long time.  Turkoglu also adds clutch shooting and a veteran presence in the dressing room.  He has done something in his career that other Raptors at camp have not done and that is win.  He brings a resume that includes numerous playoff appearances including last years run to the Finals with Orlando and hopes to propel this team back to the playoffs.

Antoine Wright should serve as the primary back up at the Small forward and comes in with a wealth of experience from his busy season last year backing up the injured Jason Terry in Dallas.  He is a defensive specialist and will provide the team with needed defensive help off the bench.  Don’t be surprised to see Derozan occupy this position off the bench at times as well when the Raptors go to a smaller lineup.

The little known Sonny Weems will clean up the mess in garbage time when he isn’t sporting a suit on the bench.

The Best Case Scenario

Turkoglu plays like an all-star and raises the levels of the other players on the court.  His playmaking ability opens up Derozan, Belinelli and Calderon for more wide open shots and he leads the team back to the playoffs. Team Chemistry takes shape early on and the Raps create match-up problems for their opponents all season long. His leadership brings out the best in Chris Bosh and Turkoglu’s involvement with the team inspires #4 to stick around for a few more years after this one.

The Worst Case Scenario

The team takes a while to gel and there are all kinds of issues with ball distribution.  Turkoglu is a little slower than he was last season and does not provide the Raptors with enough of a presence on defense especially against some of the league’s more elite wing players.  The Raps score tonnes of points but so do their opponents.  Hedo and the rest of the team do not mesh and the Raps play a variety of styles all season long hoping something will stick on their way to missing the playoffs once again.

The Prediction

Turkoglu and the Raptors will take some time to get used to each other but in the end they will gel.  The team will score lots of points but will look foolish at times on the defensive end.  Turkoglu won’t have an all-star season but he will be an effective leader on and off the court and his style of play will elevate the perimeter game of Calderon and Belinelli and turn them into deadly weapons on offense.  Hedo will hit a couple of game winning shots during the year and the Raps will head back to the playoffs somewhere between the 4 and 7 seed.  His defense will be steady but unspectacular and will receive his fair share of criticism from the Raptor faithful.

Antoine Wright will be a fan favourite and a fixture off the bench for Jay Triano.  His defense helps the team win some close games and he becomes known as the teams defensive stopper, being asked to guard some of the tougher wing players in the league.

Sonny Weems doesn’t play much but provides the most hardcore of Raptor fans the odd treat in garbage time, much the way the sight of Nathan Jawaii did last season.