Good teams always run the risk of playing down to their competition when they face lesser opponents but that would be really hard to do in a game where the Nets, who only have 2 wins, were missing Chris Douglas-Roberts, Rafer Alston, Jarvis Hayes and Eduardo Najera. But the Rockets almost managed to do it.

Houston came out and jumped on the Nets, just like they needed to do but, after the initial 9 – 2 start, the Nets kept pace. It was a story of Brook Lopez versus the Rockets balanced scoring attack. Lopez had 11 of the Nets 20 1st quarter points while Houston spread it around with 10 from Luis Scola, 7 from Trevor Ariza, 5 from Aaron Brooks and 5 from Shane Battier.

27 – 20 after 1.

The game would get closer though when the usually good bench came in. Maybe it was that the Rockets were missing Chase Studinger still or that the arena was just too dead. Or maybe it was that Rick Adelman “allowed” Tracy McGrady to fly home to Houston because T-Mac asked if he was going to be getting more time (see “Insights:” below). But whatever the reason, Houston’s bench was flat and could not figure out the New Jersey zone. Carl Landry had his usual performance with 12 in the frame but nobody was playing defense.

Yi Jianlian had a couple of drives to help lead the Nets to 31 points in the 2nd and close the gap to 6.

57 – 51 after 2.

The 3rd period wasn’t much better. I hate that Adelman always plays the starters for at least 9:00 in the 3rd even though they always seem to come out of the lockerroom with no idea how to score. Brooks had 2 baskets in the first 7 minutes and those were the only two field goals for the Rockets. And Chuck Hayes missed both on a pair of free throws.

The defense wasn’t any better as my boy, Ariza, got dunked on by Terrence Williams (1:23 in above video) after Yi had a few more dunks.

70 – 69 after 3.

New Jersey took the lead on the 1st play of the 4th as Yi knocked down a wide open jumper. The Rockets helped them out with poor free throw shooting as Brooks was fouled on a 3 but only hit 1 of the 3 free throws. So the game was still close in the last minutes.

Keyon Dooling hit a 3 from the corner to tie the game at 91 and Landry, usually a great closer, turned the ball over 3 times in a row so Brooks had to take over that role this time.

Brooks made a great layup on a tough finish over Yi and then hit all 4 tries from the line to seal the win for Houston.   

Final Score: 98 – 93 Houston.

Positives:

1. Good balanced scoring: 4 guys in double figures is always a good sign.

Negatives:

1. Free throw shooting continues to be inconsistent for this team. 22/32 is poor and one of the reasons that this game was so close. The Rockets are either fantastic from the line or they’re bad; they’ve got to become more consistent with that aspect.

2. This should’ve been a blowout but the Nets had a chance to win in the last minute.

Insights:

So, what is going on with the Tracy McGrady situation? I’ve been dying to see him get on the court and he really seems ready to have a good, healthy, productive year but now Adelman is “allowing” him to skip games? What does that even mean? It has to be more like Adelman sent him home for complaining about his playing time. I am at a loss for words over this move. I really hope the Rocekts front office doesn’t plan on counting on Trevor Ariza to be the type of player McGrady is. Houston really, really needs a guy who can make plays for his teammates because they do have lulls on the offensive end still and T-Mac is that type of player. When he steps on the court he is automatically the best passer on the team and he comands so much attention from the opposing defense that other guys get better looks even if he never touches the ball. I’ve said repeatedly that, as long as he plays 22 – 26 minutes a game, he is a huge piece on a team that is going to make the playoffs.

And as far as the playoffs, with McGrady as a piece (as opposed to being the focal point) this team has chance to beat anyone other than the Lakers in a series. Without him there is no way they can get out of the 1st round – yes, I see the irony in that statement – so why are they pissing him off? It is obvious that he has been looking better and I agree with him that it is time that he starts getting a little more time.

And it shouldn’t even matter right now because Studinger is hurt so McGrady could easily just take those minutes to see how he handles it. Then when Stud is back you distribute the minutes according to how McGrady played when he had his chance. Jermaine Taylor is a long-term project but he should not be taking precedent over T-Mac.

Don’t just assume that he is going to do his own thing and not run the offense. Give him a shot to fit in.

Fed Up with Adelman,

Multatuli

Nachdem die New Jersey Nets mit 16 konsekutiven Niederlagen in die neue Saison gestartet waren, haben die Verantwortlichen entschieden, dass es an der Zeit sei Headcoach Lawrence Frank mit sofortiger Wirkung zu entlassen. In Folge dessen wurde gegen die Los Angeles Lakers die 17. Niederlage eingefahren.
Die Spieler nahmen die Schuld auf sich und gaben an, den Coach habe es zu Unrecht getroffen, denn sie hätten einfach nicht das umsetzten können, was ihr Trainer von ihnen verlangte. So nahmen das auch die meisten NBA Beobachter wahr.
Parallel zu den New York Knicks sind auch die Nets eine Mannschaft im Umbruch, die ein Auge auf den Free Agent Markt 2010 geworfen hat. Doch während Mike D’Antoni bei den Knicks als Trainer für 2010 gesetzt ist, beschlossen die Nets, dass Frank nicht in das Zukunftsmodell der Mannachaft passt.

Während es angesichts der Erfolgslosigkeit natürlich schwer ist an einem Trainer festzuhalten, so muss man auch beachten, dass die Nets von einigen Verletzungen heimgesucht wurden. Devin Harris, Courtney Lee und Yi Jianlian verpassten zehn, sieben und 13 Spiele respektive, wobei der chinesische Forward nachwievor verletzungsbedingt ausfällt.
Nichtsdestotrotz ist Lawrence Frank aus seinem Amt enthoben worden und mit Kiki Vandeweghe steht sein Nachfolger bereits fest. An ihm ist es nun zu verhindern, dass die New Jersey Nets alleiniger Halter eines traurigen Rekordes werden. Zuvor gelang es lediglich den 1988-89 Miami Heat und zehn Jahre später den 1998-99 Los Angeles Clippers mit null Siegen und 17 Niederlagen in eine Spielzeit zu starten. Die nächste Partie bestreiten die Nets vor heimischem Publikum gegen Dirk Nowitkis Mavericks und es ist zumindest wahrscheinlich, dass sie auch in diesem Spiel unterliegen.

Είμαστε σχεδόν ένα μήνα μετά το ξεκίνημα της σεζόν και η κατάσταση στις κορυφές των conference είναι λίγο-πολύ αναμενόμενες. Αλλά για να μην ασχοληθούμε ακόμα με τους πρώτους και βαρετούς, ας ξεκινήσουμε αντίστροφα… από τον πάτο.

Οι New Jersey Nets από το 2001 (που κατέφθασε ο Kidd) μέχρι το 2006, έγιναν 2 φορές πρωταθλητές Ανατολής το 2002 και 2003 (χάνοντας στους τελικούς από Lakers και Spurs) και 4 φορές τιτλούχοι της Atlantic Division (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006). Κι όπως συνήθως γίνεται, όλες οι καλές πορείες κλείνουν το κύκλο τους. Οι Nets φαίνεται να κλείνουν μία και καλή τον δικό τους φέτος. Διοικητικά ίσως αγοραστούν από το πλουσιότερο άνθρωπο στο κόσμο, τον Ρώσο μεγιστάνα Mikhail Prokhorov, και πιθανώς θα μετακομίσουν στο Brooklyn μέσα στα επόμενα 2 χρόνια. Αγωνιστικά έχουν φτάσει κι επισήμως στο κατώτερο σημείο της ιστορίας τους.

Παρά το εξαιρετικά καλό περσινό τους draft (Brook Lopez, CDR, Ryan Anderson) και το trade του Vince Carter που τους έφερε ουσιαστικά τον ταλαντούχο  Courtney Lee, η κατάρα τους χτύπησε τη πόρτα. Όπωςτον Ολυμπιακό στο ποδόσφαιρο, οι τραυματισμοί στο New Jersey ήταν αλλεπάλληλοι:

Ο βελτιωμένος Κινέζος Yi Jianlian χτύπησε στο δεξί γόνατο μένοντας έξω ενάμιση μήνα. Ο αρχηγός Devin Harris τον ακολούθησε με 3 εβδομάδες απουσία. Ο νεοφερμένος Courtney Lee έχασε άλλες δύο εβδομάδες με πρόβλημα στη βουβωνική περιοχή. Ο Chris-Douglas Roberts που αντικαθιστούσε επάξια τους τραυματίες, κόλλησε την γρίπη των χοίρων!

H ομάδα ξεκίνησε με απανωτές ήττες και χτες έφτασε στο σημείο να ισοφαρίσει το αρνητικό ρεκόρ ξεκινήματός της με 0 νίκες και 14 ήττες! Χρειάζεται 4 ακόμα για να ξεπεράσει το συνολικό ρεκόρ ΝΒΑ…

Ένα ωραίο βίντεο για τη πορεία των Nets από το 2001

"what a weirdo." - bill's mind

here’s the short convo i had w/ one of my heroes, espn.com sportswriter and author of the new book on basketball, bill simmons (aka the sports guy) at his dc espn zone book signing:

me: i’m one of the many asians who send u annoying yao [ming] analysis e-mails. *sarcastically rocking the yao jersey.

bill: i don’t get a lot of those these days.  *smile.

ouch, that was a good one.  the man still had it even though he looked ridiculously tired (at 1:30 AM on the day of his book release), was facing an embarrassing book shortage, and had to deal w/ fans w/ a common denominator: smart asses who think they’re funnier than they actually are (like myself).

"laugh, funny white man. laugh at our misfortune." - my mind

but the man still had a book to sell, so he offered his condolences:

bill: i like yao though.  he’ll be back.  thanks for coming.  *smile.

loren: congrats, and have a good night!  *giddy.

and here’s the sig:

for those that don’t understand the “chairman yi” reference, allow me to quote one of bill’s columns:

Q: I know it’s pretty obvious, but Yi Jianlian’s nickname has to be “The Chairman,” right? –M. Filion, Montreal

SG: Has to be. There hasn’t been a more effective nickname in years. Not only does it sound like the right nickname for him (“Chairman Yi”), but the joke-trapped-inside-the-joke (during ESPN’s lottery show, there was video of Yi posting up actual chairs and spinning around them for layups) will never stop being funny. And when you think about it, we haven’t been able to call anyone “The Chairman” since Sinatra died. So it’s done — we’re calling Yi “The Chairman.” This meeting is adjourned.

all asian-big-men disses aside, one may wonder why smart ass sports fans would wait 3 hours to pretty much flirt w/ another smart ass sports fan.  picture this: early fall 2004 … an asian boy just started law school … has no friends … no fellow smart asses to flirt w/ (and that’s how doods flirt with each other, via sports talk) … stuck in the library by himself on a weekend night … but still laughing his smart ass off to one of bill’s non-sports masterpieces … w/o a care in the world … feeling like there is someone out there who understands the smart ass (lonely ass?) within.  a moment like this is why i luv bill simmons.

now i sound like a stalker.

Pulling up to the IZOD Center in a garden variety Honda, waiting and anticipating the debut of one of the most exciting teams in basketball, the New Jersey Nets, I began to think to myself…

Oh, wait, the Nets are definitely not one of the most exciting teams in Basketball. The Nets suck, they’re from New Jersey.

This is Jay-Z’s team though, and you don’t question the Roc.

R-O-C is the strongest team

Before we tip off, let’s meet some more famous Americans with ties to the Garden State. John Bon Jovi is fron New Jersey, so is Frank Sinatra. That quintessential American Bruce Springsteen also grew up in New Jersey. Aaron Burr grew up in New Jersey before he shot and killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Trailblazer Zebulon Pike is also from New Jersey, along with actor Kevin Spacey and rapper Ice-T.

With guards Devin Harris and Courtney Lee, forwards Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian, and center Aaron Techentin, this team should slowly ascent the NBA totem pole.

Who is Aaron Techentin, you ask?

Okay, so the gentle giant A-Tec isn’t the starting center for the New Jersey Nets, but we wish he was!

I'm ready, are you?

Even with the addition of the dynamic Courtney Lee and explosive scorer Rafer Alston, can the Nets really count on improvement following a 34-48 season?

The jury is still out on the Nets off-season moves but with the looming sale of the franchise to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, the team may struggle to focus on basketball. Ownership widgets aside, the New Jersey lineup shows flashes of potential.

No longer subject to the onus of Vince Carter, All-Star Devin Harris will team up with former Magic swingman Courtney Lee in what proves to be a very potent, albeit youthful back-court. Behind these two sit Rafer Alston and Chris Douglas-Roberts. Roberts was a former teammate of Derrick (help I can’t read!) Rose at Memphis where the two players formed a potent duo that propelled the Tigers to the Final Four.

Bobby Simmons, another piece of the trade that sent Richard Jefferson to the Bucks, should play small-forward. This begs the question, how will Bobby Simmons match up against guys like LeBron James and Paul Pierce? Yi Jianlian, a seven footer acquired in the draft day trade with Milwaukee, will start at power forward. Little is known about the mysterious Yi. Brooke Lopez, who started all 82 games for the Nets in his rookie year and averaged 13.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, will anchor the lineup at center.

The Nets have a young lineup with talent at every position, few of these players have any practical experience starting in the NBA though. This limited veteran presence will likely hamper the nets chances of making the post season and will likely relegate them to a similarly average 9th or 10th place finish in the Eastern Conference and thus, their win total will likely mirror the remaining number of Republicans in Congress.

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
10. Milwaukee Bucks 
11. New Jersey Nets

THE NBA IS BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!

And, you know, we here at Pick and Pop try to keep it as fresh and quirky as possible.  So, my plan for the next 32 (or some odd) days is to not break down how a team will do.  That’s for sportswriters with degrees and such, although I guess a night before the season tips off Colin and I will do something like that. 

Instead, I’m giving every single player in the league, even some guys that won’t even make the roster, a little ink.  Because not all players are created (and adored) equally by yours truly, some will have much longer anecdotes/analysis or what have you than others.  Case and point: would it be fair to give Dirk Nowitzki and Adam Morrison the same amount of space?  I haven’t gotten that far yet, but I’m willing to bet I won’t do that.

I guess to make sure the pecking order of the NBA isn’t completely ruined, I’m going to go in ascending order in terms of how I predict the teams will finish.  Next up we have the New Jersey Nets.

Dude... it's bad enough that the Mavs traded you, Devin Harris. But do you really have to blow by J-Kidd like that? Photo by Bill Kostroun/AP

Star

 

Devin Harris

While I don’t think he would have blown up had he stayed on the Dallas Mavericks, there’s no denying how much the Mavs miss him these days, especially when their current starting point guard defends like he’s standing in quick sand on a nightly basis.  He was the perfect point guard for that team: an athletic, slashing guard who could defend both guard positions.  OK, let me stop crying about Dallas… sorry.  With Vince Carter gone to Orlando and very little help surrounding him, I expect Harris to put up substantially higher numbers than he did even last season.

The Other Starters

Brook Lopez

 B-Lopes is one of the last of a dying breed in the NBA: a pure back to the basket center who plays well on both sides of the ball.  He’ll have a break-out, 18 and 10 kind of year.  To this day I still don’t know how he slipped past the Knicks in the draft, but Nets’ fans should be happy that this guy is on their side.  I still think it’s weird that him and his brother Robin specialize in trifling Walt Disney trivia, but hey, I like the T.O Show, so who’s weirder?

Yi Jianlian

I’m not quite ready to get off the Yi train yet.  He’s had brief bursts of greatness, but mostly his first two years have been wildly inconsistent.  He can score 20 one night and then go like three straight games without scoring more than four.  Right now, he has two things going for him: his versatility and his youth.  Don’t give up on him yet.

Courtney Lee

Although he’s a tad undersized, I like Lee.  He’s passed the “Justin Cherot Chinky Eye Test” with flying colors, but I was shocked at how good his shooting numbers were, especially from deep.   He might have ultimately wanted to see the Magic all the way through to a championship, but he’ll get plenty of minutes at the two spot.  I mean, seriously… who’s there to challenge him? 

Bobby Simmons

If I were an NBA GM, I definitely wouldn’t get caught up in the hype of a journeyman having one, maybe one and a half solid seasons.  Under no circumstances would I have given Simmons over $10 million.  So far on my NBA journey, he is the most overpaid player in the NBA.  Thankfully for Simmons, that’s sure to change as I make my rounds.

Bench

Keyon Dooling

Here’s a guy I swore would have been out of the NBA, but teams keep giving him chances because with his size, strength and athleticism he brings a lot to the table.  Props to him for sticking with it, and hopefully he can build on a career season last year.

Jarvis Hayes

My boy Hakeem thinks that Hayes has the sweetest looking shooting motion in the NBA.  I compare that to me playing the saxophone in high school.  My teacher told me, “You have great technique, probably more so than any of my other pupils… but…and I don’t know how to put this delicately… you sound like shit.”  True story.

Tony Battie

I was about to go into rant about who in their right mind would have taken Battie with the 5th pick in any draft… until I just went to InsideHoops.com.  As it turns out, 5th might not have been high enough.  The ‘97 Draft gets absolutely no pub about being one of the worst drafts ever, probably because the headliner in the group–Tim Duncan–is one of the best to ever lace ‘em up.

Josh Boone

Shawn Douglas, where are you?  If you’re reading this, I just want to give you props.  You went toe to toe with this dude in high school, and you completely shut him down.  I think he may have snuck eight points in on Colin, but all in all, it feels good to know that we took down South Carroll… right before they got Marshall Strickland and set the world on fire.

Eduardo Najera 

Najera is the definition of a gritty player.  What he lacks in talent he makes up for in hustle plays, elbows and crotch grabs.  Okay, I made the last one up.

Rafer Alston

A.K.A “The Screen Name”, since my screen name has been Rafer11 on AIM for the past eleven years.  Seems so weird now that I think about it.  Anyway, I won’t get all nostalgic, I promise.  How he goes from starting in the finals to being the 3rd best point guard on a team I have no idea, but I see Dooling playing a little more two with the back-up unit this year. 

Chris Douglas-Roberts

He’s raw, sure, but eventually they’ll take the reigns off and the CDR revolution will begin.  Maybe.

Terrence Williams

Talk about a guy shooting up the charts!  Here’s a guy that, because of his athleticism and versatility should be in the rotation by the end of November, with a chance to start down the line this season. 

Sean Williams

“I was going to get good at basketball, but I got high…”

Trenton Hassell 

Keep my dreams alive, buddy.  Keep them alive!

NBA Preview Archives

Sacramento Kings

We’re well into the business end of a deep draft, where upside and potential means everything, and old veterans are reluctantly selected based on name value alone.

Catch up on Round 10 here. Fantasy notes:  We’re using a 12-team, H2H format, with standard categories.

121. Kahn’t Buyout Love: Al Thornton | Los Angeles Clippers

Drafted So Far: Chris Paul, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Paul Pierce, LaMarcus Aldridge, Mike Conley, Eric Gordon, Raymond Felton, Greg Oden, Anthony Morrow

I can see Al Thornton being a bit of a sleeper this year… or he’ll end up on the bench, if Mike Dunleavy finally realises how one-dimensional he really is. If the Clippers decide to run this year, with Babyhead gone and Kaman (presumably) out injured, we’ll see some bumps in Thornton’s stats.

122. Danny Aingent 007: Kenyon Martin | Denver Nuggets

Drafted So Far: LeBron James, Troy Murphy, Gilbert Arenas, Mo Williams, Nene Hilario, Rudy Gay, Stephen Jackson, Thaddeus Young, Corey Maggette, Chris Duhon

He’s always an injury risk and courts technicals and ejections like it’s part of the game, but his numbers this late in the draft are a steal: 11 and 7 with a handy 1+ STLs/BLKs, and he will generally push 50% FG for the year.

With Kleiza booted, he could see a bit more scoring responsibility too. Assuming he doesn’t contract leprosy or shingles, or cop a year-long suspension for punching out Mark Cuban.

123. Drinking Derrick Rosé: Nenad Krstic | Oklahoma City Thunder

Drafted So Far: Kevin Durant, Brook Lopez, Kevin Martin, David Lee, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, Trevor Ariza, Wilson Chandler, Lamar Odom, James Harden

In need a back-up centre, Krstic fits the bill. He was so-so in his return last year, but is just three years removed from seriously solid numbers. It also means that the team officially has 80% of the Thunder’s starting line-up, meaning — barring those rare, lonely nights when Jeff Green explodes — we’ll get a tonne of Oklahoma stats every time they play.

124. The Memphis SATs: Yi Jianlian | New Jersey Nets

Drafted So Far: Dwyane Wade, Antawn Jamison, Shawn Marion, Carlos Boozer, OJ Mayo, Spencer Hawes, Ray Allen, Ramon Sessions, Allen Iverson, Chris Andersen

Yi will start every game for New Jersey, so no matter how bad he is, so he’ll get some stats, regardless of ability. Having said that, reports out of NJ have him improving on last season, which makes this pick a little better. Even though improving from ‘ineffectual, bad

125. That’s My Power Forward! That’s My Teammate!: Rodney Stuckey | Detroit Pistons

Drafted So Far: Kobe Bryant, Jose Calderon, Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor, David West, Michael Redd, Zach Randolph, Stephen Curry, Ron Artest, Tracy McGrady

I’m not confident in Stuckey’s ability to produce consistently this year, but this teams needs a PG-eligible baller and he’ll — at least — be getting starter’s minutes. This is a low-risk, potentially low-reward pick, but if he manages 14 and 5 dimes, on reasonable percentages, that’s quite acceptable in the 11th round of a deep draft.

126. Facilitatin’ With Mr. Wallace: Brendan Haywood | Washington Wizards

Drafted So Far: Danny Granger, Josh Smith, Derrick Rose, Elton Brand, Ben Gordon, Andre Miller, T.J. Ford, Luis Scola, Richard Jefferson, Tyson Chandler

Thankfully, being a reasonable human being isn’t a fantasy category.

Haywood will be the starting centre on a team fairly week at the pivot spot — only JaVale McGee will challenge for burn and, although he’s a genuine fantasy sleeper, he’s too raw to be a serious threat. Brendan is an underrated swatter (1.7 in his last healthy season, 2007-08) and a solid boardsman.

127. Mark Cuban Missile Crisis: Eddy Curry | New York Knicks

Drafted So Far: Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Joe Johnson, Caron Butler, Al Horford, Tyrus Thomas, Andrew Bogut, Aaron Brooks, Ronnie Brewer, Louis Williams

Yep, he’s going — there have been reports that he’s set to start at centre, so Curry might put up some halfway decent numbers if reports about his weight are correct.

A real swing for the fences, but this team is rounded enough to take a flyer here.

128. On Grounds of Vinsanity: Kelenna Azubuike | Golden State Warriors

Drafted So Far: Pau Gasol, Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Mehmet Okur, Boris Diaw, Nate Robinson, Jason Terry, Andrei Kirilenko, Brad Miller

It’s a fantasy-friendly system (apart from, y’know, the abitrary benchings) and, while I doubt Kelenna will see the 32mpg he did last season, he seems to be one of Nellie’s few liked players and can be a 3PM/STL/BLK threat along with his 15 and 5 boards. He managed to rate amongst GSW’s best fantasy outputs even with the return of Monta, and finished the season with some healthy lines. Hopefully that form will continue, despite the logjam at the swingman spot.

129. Andrew Bynom Nom Noms: Rip Hamilton | Detroit Pistons

Drafted So Far: Al Jefferson, Devin Harris, Carmelo Anthony, Jameer Nelson, Paul Millsap, Andrew Bynum, Charlie Villanueva, Leandro Barbosa, Luol Deng, Jamal Crawford

Of course, Rip or Tayshaun should have gone by now. But we’ve covered why they haven’t: they’re charmless guys on a charmless team, and they’re likely to see significant decreases in minutes. But hey, this late in the draft, charmless will sometimes have to do.

If forced into a timeshare with Ben Gordon, it’s difficult to see Rip’s fantasy impact staying solid. The upside is that it’s not unlikely he’ll be sent packing elsewhere, if a team is willing to take on a biggish contract in return for a lot of off-the-ball movement. If he stays in Detroit, expect Rip to hit the waivers quickly.

130. The Buss Family All-Star Band: Tyler Hansborough | Indiana Pacers

Drafted So Far: Deron Williams, Amar’e Stoudemire, Rajon Rondo, Andrea Bargnani, Manu Ginobili, Anthony Randolph, John Salmons, Kevin Love, Mario Chalmers, Chris Kaman

Hear me out.

This team has no depth in its front court — barring Troy Murphy, the majority of these guys are just happy that the Pacers exist so they can make a roster. They took a bit of a flyer on Hansborough in the draft, and will be in a rebuilding phase, meaning we’ll see young players given time to develop.

Troy Murphy managed to get about a million rebounds per game last year, just by being the only guy who wanted them. Hansborough’s hustle when hitting the glass will get him boards — and you can expect some easy put-back points too.

131. The John Hollinger W.A.S.S.U.P. System: Francisco Garcia | Sacramento Kings

Drafted So Far: Brandon Roy, Chris Bosh, Monta Ellis, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Al Harrington, Mike Bibby, Jeff Green, Josh Howard, Shaquille O’Neal

Sacramento have zero depth, so Francisco is going to see at least 30 minutes per game. While unspectacular generally, he managed 1.43PM, 1.2STL and 1.0BLK last year, which is at least as valuable as his PTS, dimes and boards combined. He can have some disgusting nights in the FG% department, but will sporadically rack up some solid BLK and STL totals.

132. The Funston Freaks: Michael Beasley | Miami Heat

Drafted So Far: Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala, Andris Biedrins, Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Tony Parker, Marcus Camby, J.R. Smith, Marvin Williams, Jermaine O’Neal

Though Joakim Noah looks like a potential steal here, with a team stuffed full of rebounders and shot-blockers, he’s simply not needed. (I will regret saying this when all my big men are hit with the dreaded Curse of the Inj). Same argument with Jason Thompson, who should be beasting it up in Sactown.

Beasley is a risk with a whole stack of upside. On the one hand, his love of the sticky ick ick might render him useless. On the other, the guy is a natural-born scorer who boasted per-36s of 20 and 8 last season. If he comes back healthy — mentally and physically — this could be a preposterous steal. It’s just hard to know how such a young guy will bounce back from such a tortured off-season.

Join us tomorrow for the 12th and final round.

Posted By: Anton, James & Alex

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Chris Bosh meets the Raptors bench.

Last time we dared suggest Toronto could be construed as a less-than-AAA-grade team, half the city clicked through to question our sexuality and mental capacity. Which, while entertaining, hasn’t changed the fact that the team is a house of cards, and some key pieces are likely to disappear or drop-off very soon. Here’s why:

Bosh has become the face of the franchise, but there’s a very good chance he leaves this off-season. Toronto’s future is contingent on Bosh staying. This can’t be overstated. But even if the club fronts the cash to max him, they still entertain his weaknesses for the duration of it: Bosh has never shown great defensive aplomb, lacking the big-man ability to genuinely control the paint. He doesn’t bang down low, not in the way franchise big men like Shaq or Olajuwon did, or Dwight is doing now. He’s excellent with his face to the basket, but once his lateral movement and mid-range game drops off — which it will — he potentially becomes Yi Jianlian on a way bigger contract. Bosh has to learn to be a big body to remain effective in his later career.

Turkoglu’s form at the end of last season was unquestionably excellent. If his worth was to be valued on his performances from February through to the finals — which Toronto did — the $55M is justifiable. But can he maintain that form? He’ll turn 30 this year, which is the traditional point players begin to drop-off. This could have been the reason for his effective no-show in the Euro championship in the off-season. His un-guardable step-under jump shot worked because defence had to cover Dwight in the paint and Rashard on the other wing, but it’s questionable whether Toronto has this sort of potent inside-outside threat. Bosh occupies the middle well, but Bargnani’s surprising long-range competency is not Rashard.

While these three key pieces create a very firm foundation, and Bargnani looks to be finally beginning to justify his number one pick, Colangelo has surrounded them with — to be blunt — a deep roster of complete fucking potatoes. Who out of this list is the glue-guy, the heart of team that can fire-up the starters in a clutch situation? Seriously:

· Marcus Banks: a $4m contract , and he averaged 9 minutes of playing time in 22 games last season.

· Marco Bellinelli: serviceable numbers off the bench, but that was in a Nellie system. His real-game is much lower.

· DeMar DeRozan: this kid is exciting, and a human highlight reel, but the history of super-athletic, low-basketball-IQ players isn’t great.

· Quincy Douby: Marcus Banks with a less disgusting contract.

· Reggie Evans: career averages of 4 points and 7 boards. Horribly, one of the better frontcourt outputs in this bench list.

· Jarrett Jack: a potential talent, who — again — will be limited to a back-up role.

· Amir Johnson: like having a quarter of Greg Oden on your team.

· Rasho Nesterovic: a million years old, but good for 7 points and 4 boards. He earns more money this year than Andrew Bynum.

· Patrick O’Bryant: raw, possibly deserves more court time than he got at Boston, but will he see it as a third-string centre?

· Sonny Weems: averaged less than two points in 12 games for Denver last year.

· Antoine Wright: 7 points, 2 rebounds in 24 minutes last season.

· Jake Voskuhl (FA): utter non-event.

· Joey Graham (FA): quite reasonable bench output. At least there’s one guy.

This list struggles to evidence a player that can provide Luke Walton effort, or Leon Powe dependability, or even Kyle Korver single-talent help. Meanwhile, Reggie Evans, Marcus Banks and Rasho alone will combine to take up $16M of cap space this year, and are effectively untradeable due to their talent-to-contract ratio.

Toronto, on the back of their recent successes should be starting another year as potential conference finalists. But they don’t, because the 82 games of the regular season will drain their studs, and there’s zero depth to pick up the slack. On the upside, watching DeMar’s ridiculous hops all season should make for great TV.

This is a guest post by my buddy Julian, who writes the blog Comedy Landfill. Like me, he’s a huge NBA fan and a fantasy basketball aficionado. We thought that in addition to giving you know some potentially awesome fantasy picks, we should list some guys to stay away from. Anyway, enjoy. And follow him on twitter.

Bad Fantasy Fits

Richard Jefferson: There is no doubt in my mind that Richard Jefferson is going to improve the Spurs this coming season. However, this is fantasy basketball, not real basketball, and hard questions must be asked. How is Jefferson going to behave when slotted next to other scorers that are going to require a large amount of touches? Duncan, Ginobili and Parker all like to take a fair amount of shots, and Jefferson might get squeezed a bit in this respect. I expect his shooting percentage to rise, but his PPG to go down, and his rebounds to stay around the same.

Andre Miller: Many people questioned this decision by Portland GM Prichard in the offseason, myself being one of them. It might work a bit better in practice than it does on paper, but that doesn’t mean that Miller’s stats won’t suffer. Never the long bomber, Andre doesn’t figure to benefit too much from Roy’s ability to draw double teams. However, his number of three point shots made should go up marginally. Even with Portland’s high powered offense, I don’t expect Miller’s assist numbers are going to change much – they may even dip slightly because he’s just not going to have the ball in his hands as much and, unless he’s traded, Blake will be competing with him for minutes. His PPG should take a much bigger drop than his assists, though. He simply does not have to score as much, or create offense for himself with so many other, more versatile scoring options on the floor.

Allen Iverson: No, no, no. I know what you’re thinking. It’s Allen Iverson! Former MVP! Shining light to all those little basketball players who dreamed of making it in the NBA! Yeah, those days are mostly behind him, if last season was any indication, and guess where he’s headed? Memphis. A team that has the very similar OJ Mayo, the shot happy Rudy Gay and infamous black hole Zach Randolph. Expect his stats to take a dip, with perhaps a slight increase in efficiency.

Injury Concerns

Jermaine O’Neal: Don’t be fooled by the positive injury reports coming out of Miami, O’Neal is likely not worth it. His rebounding over the past couple of years, even when healthy, has been suspect, his FG% is too low for a big, and obviously, he is a big question mark when it comes to injuries. Don’t pick him too early, but be open to picking him up later on, when he might be worth it as a value pick.

Shaquille O’Neal: The Big Galactus may be tempting for people, seeing as he had what appeared to be a bounce-back season in Pheonix last year. However, what many people do not realize is that Pheonix has probably the best medical and training staff in the NBA. They have prolonged the careers and peaks of many an aging player over the years, and it’s no surprise that Shaq went from being an injury-prone malcontent in Miami, to a revitalized Diesel in Pheonix. I expect him to miss a substantial number of games next season, but contribute well when he does play.

Tyson Chandler: He’s not with Chris Paul any more, so a lot of his scoring opportunities are going to dry up, and with it, his fantastic FG% and his somewhat decent ppg averages for a center. It also looks like his injury problems may be a bit more serious than first imagined.

Fake Sleepers

Lou Williams: Andre Miller is gone, so surely Lou Williams is going to step up and get a lot of minutes and help your team out, right? I wouldn’t bet on it. Last year he shot worse than 40% in terms of FG%, had a poor assist rate, and turned the ball over a lot. He contributes threes and steals, but I would only pick him up very late.

Yi Jianlian: Oh my! I’ve heard far to much about a guy who is legitimately terrible just because he flexed his muscles in the offseason and someone took a picture of it. Don’t count on any miraculous improvements.

Nets Future?

Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, and Tony Battie; will these three, along with a developing Brook Lopez and allstar Devin Harris, be able to carry the Nets to at least a 41-41 record? Will they fall to another season without a playoff run? Will Yi finally become the “star” he has been in China? Will the bench become productive? Will Courtney Lee hold up to the expectations we have for him? With Devin and Brook potentially being 20 and 8-9 players, Courtney Lee having to take a bigger role after his impressive rookie season, and Yi posting 18.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game in the FIBA games, what exactly can you expect from this rebuilding Nets team? Also what is to make of Terrence Williams, the only 2009 NBA draft pick of the Nets, after averaging 12.5 ppg in his final season with Louisville. It’s still unknown if he will play the backup point guard, shooting guard, or starting small foward. Either way, I say expect good from this group of young guys. At least 35+ wins. October 28th is the day, tune in and find out if the Nets can hold up to the expectations I have for them.

With both teams knotted at 68, China’s back-up point guard Hu Xuefeng shot a three ball at the top of the key that is well-contested by Lebanon’s Rony Fahed.

Well, that’s what I saw and that was what the replay showed- a nice contest from the Lebanese guard that forced the shot to miss.

Unfortunately for Lebanon, a referee blew the whistle, indicating a foul against Fahed which should’ve been a no-call scenario.

Why? because again, Fahed did a great job on putting up his both hands to bother Xuefeng’s shot. It was a clean contest. Credit the good defense for Christ’s sake. Fahed’s hands were just right up there and when it came down to the body, still no contact. If you have watched what happened (whether on your TV sets or live in the Tianjin Gym) clearly, it was supposedly a non-call.

If Mr. Whistleblower made the right call, and just decided to stop blowing (pun intended), with still much time left (a little over a minute) and with the momentum in Lebanon’s favor, Fadih El Khatib and his boys may have pulled off a win that would leave more than 1 billion Chinese (including Jackie Chan and Jet Li) people stunned.

But instead, Xuefeng went on to sink two of three free-throws that eventually gave his team the lead for good at 72-70.

Lebanon, who looked robbed due to the errand call, still had the chance to tie but Brian Feghali surprisingly went for a three-point shot from way downtown that barely grazed the rim.

Though Lebanon still had a chance in the end, the Refs still decided the outcome of the game. Why didn’t they just let the players play, you know what I mean? The contest may have gone into OT where anything can happen. It’s a freaking knockout game and it really sucks for it to end that way.

Call it ‘breaks of the game’ but, it just broke a somewhat frantic finish awaiting to happen.

Anyway, China went on to win by four, 72-68 capped by the two free-throws from Nets forward Yi Jianlian, who finished with  18 points. Former NBA player Wang Zhi Zhi topscored for the Chinese squad with 20 points.

Lebanon was led by their big man, Jackson Vroman, who had a game-high 27 points.

China advances to the title game as they look to regain there ground as Asian Champions when they battle defending Asian champion Iran while, Lebanon will continue to hope for a non-call in the end game as it tries to bounce back against Jordan for a third place finish.

With the win, China and Iran are officially VIP’s come 2010 at the World Championships in Turkey, while whoever wins the battle for third will merit the remaining invitation for a crack at the World tilt.

You remember Yi Jianlian, yeah?  He was the seven-footer from Guangdong Province in China who was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the sixth pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.  Oh, how nice it was to be drafted so high and be able to play in the best basketball league in the world.

He looks really happy to be there!

But wait!  Yi was upset.  His “handlers” were upset.  They wanted their boy to play in a “large” market.  But the problem was that none of the teams selecting in the first ten picks were in a large market.  Well, maybe Chicago, who had acquired the New York Knicks’ ninth pick.  Beyond the Bulls, the true “large” market teams would not select until fourteenth (the Los Angeles Clippers), followed by the Los Angeles Lakers at 19 and New York Knicks at 23.  Considering the talent and potential of Yi, you knew he would not last that long.

As it was, the Bucks took him and he held out, deciding not to sign.  He bitched and moaned, but finally he did sign.  And, he rewarded the Bucks with lackluster play.  The Bucks then rewarded him by trading Yi to the New Jersey Nets.  Hey, now he is in a large market!

So, being in a large market, Yi should be happy and produce.  Well…only by “producing” nearly an identical season in East Rutherford as he had in Milwaukee.  Same points per game (8.6); one-tenth of a rebound more (5.3); two-tenths of an assist more (1.0); one-tenth of a steal less (0.5); and three-tenths of a block less (0.6).  Oh, but he did dramatically improve one stat — games missed (21 in 2008-9; five more than a season before).

What gives a guy who has not proven himself in the Association any right to push to be on a particular team?  He still has not proven himself yet.  Well, except he is inconsistent, mediocre, and seems to be injury-prone.

Well, apparently these unproven kids are still trying to dictate where they go.

Last night, Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio was drafted number five by the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Should be a happy time for an eighteen-year old kid!  But, today there was some bitching and moaning about him not being happy going to a “small market.”  His dad is meddling as well.

I can get being upset that the T’wolves took another small point guard.  It seems unlikely that a Rubio-Jonny Flynn backcourt could really work in the NBA.  And a platoon system?  Forget it.

Rubio looking for someone to pass to...and a way out of Minneapolis!

But being upset about the size of the city where the franchise is located?  C’mon, Ricky!  He played in Badalona, Spain — population of over 218,000.  He does know that the Minneapolis-St. Paul MSA has over 3 million people?  That is the 16th largest MSA in the U.S.  Or that the city of Minneapolis itself has 377,000 people?  Seems to be a step up from Badalona.  Sure, it is relatively a small market, but it is not Boise, Idaho either.

First off, who in the hell are you?  Have you proven anything?  Oh, Rubio has some decent ball skills.  Some nice behind the back carrying — ERRRR, I mean dribbling; good passes out of the ass.

People do realize that he averaged 2.4 PPG in the Euroleague, yeah!?  That’s just awesome.  Hmm, 2.8 assists?  And 2.4 turnovers per game!?

He is not that great of a shooter.  Does not seem to be able to get through traps or actual defense.  He seems to be able to move it on the transition, but that is only a small part of the game.  And he is small.  He is going to get banged all day and beaten by stronger NBA point guards.  I cannot imagine Rubio guarding someone like Baron Davis.

At best, he is a streetballer.  It is the And1 Mixtape, the European Version!  Remember White Chocolate?  That is Ricky Rubio!

He does need time to get better, and he might do that.  But he has not done anything to prove that he is worthy of being a lottery pick, nor has he done anything to be able to dictate where he should play.  It is no different college football players being “given” huge contracts even though they have not proven themselves.

Neither Rubio nor Yi have done anything to give them any power to dictate where they should be playing.  Rubio could have ended up in Oklahoma City.  He does realize how cold it gets there.  I am sure Sacramento would have been exciting.  As it is, he is in Minnesota.  Suck it up; play your best and earn you place in the NBA.

Maybe it is a trend among young kids.  After all, he was the first player born in 1990 drafted into the NBA.  But this sense of entitlement is a bit much.  People want to compare Rubio to Pete Maravich and Drazen Petrovic.  That is unfair to the late, great players as both of them actually established themselves before entering the NBA.  I do not remember seeing Petrovic average less than three points a game, or Pistol Pete complaining about playing in Atlanta.

But hey, who needs to be established when you have “potential,” the most often used term in last night’s draft.  And apparently “potential,” translated in Spanish, means ”entitlement.”  Ricard Rubio Vives has “potential.”

So did Michael Olowokandi.

He looks lost, and not just because he's wearing a Clippers' jersey.

Sometimes, it doesn’t matter where you draft. Great players are often left waiting until the second round, if they’re drafted at all. A high lottery pick doesn’t guarantee a thing. Upside can confuse. Wingspans can distract. Big mistakes can be made, even by the best-intentioned general managers.

#10 | Mouhamed Sene | Seattle Supersonics | 2006

Other Notables Mistakes At #10: Keyon Dooling, Orlando Magic, 2000 | Jarvis Hayes, Washington Wizards, 2003 | Luke Jackson, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2004

Remember that thing about wingspans? Sene was a clasically raw Senegalese shot-blocker with a ridiculous wingspan (7′8″) and an appropriate expectation of upside attached.

Sene clearly couldn’t play, expending all his energy racking up fouls and looking confused. It took just three months for the Sonics to boot him to the D-League. Since then, he was waived, then picked up by the Knicks in 2009. In other words, he was cheap, tall, and New York wanted to keep salaries low.

#9 | Michael Sweetney | New York Knicks | 2003

Other Notables Mistakes At #9: Patrick O’Bryant, Golden State Warriors, 2006 | Rodney White, Detroit Pistons, 2001

The Knicks, for all their recent failures, have done well at the draft, picking up Wilson Chandler, David Lee, and Nate Robinson towards the back end of the selections. The Sweetney pick was not one of their successes.

Battling constant weight problems in his rookie year, their ninth pick gave them 42 uninspiring games.

Sweetney was semi-serviceable in his second year (19 minutes, 8 points, 5 boards), but was never fit enough to contribute consistently. He was used as salary fodder in the trade that sent Eddy Curry to Chicago, and Sweetney has been wearing suits for the Bulls since.

#8 | Rafael Araújo | Toronto Raptors | 2004

Other Notables Mistakes At #8: DeSagana Diop, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2001 | Joe Alexander, Milwaukee Bucks, 2008

Befitting their status as the only non-US team, Toronto are an international franchise. They pride themselves on their worldly scouts. When it comes time to pull the trigger on an oversized white man who’ll undoubtedly struggle against superior NBA competition, the Raptors don’t hesitate.

Araújo wasn’t any good when he was drafted, and he never got any better. In his rookie year, he averaged 3 points and 3 boards; a slightly better contribution than what he offered to the Jazz in his last year in the league, three seasons later. Oversized, a bad shooter, and consistently incompetent at fundamental basketball tasks, Araújo was a badly wasted opportunity, drafted ahead of Andre Iguodala (9th) and Al Jefferson (15th).

#7 | Corey Brewer | Minnesota Timberwolves | 2007

Other Notables Mistakes At #7: Eddie Griffin, Houston Rockets, 2000 | Chris Mihm, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2000

With his sophomore season cut to just 15 games after knee surgery, it may be a little premature to proclaim Brewer a bust.

But it’s not far off. Brewer joined a terrible Timberwolves team, ripe for rookie playing time, a starting spot his for the taking. He responded by delivering 6 points (at 37.5%), 4 boards and a cheeky steal in 22 minutes.

#6 | Robert Traylor | Dallas Mavericks | 1998

Other Notables Mistakes At #6: DerMarr Johnson, Atlanta Hawks, 2000 | Dajuan Wagner, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2002 | Martell Webster, Portland Trail Blazers, 2005 | Yi Jianlian, Milwaukee Bucks, 2006

Note to Wolves fans: sorry. You really don’t want the 6th pick in the draft. Where teams become desperate for an upside pick, while struggling to find a guy ready to play right now. It’s a bad spot.

But the nod goes to ‘Tractor’ Traylor. Able to dominate despite — and partly because of — his weight in college, Traylor was a mess playing against professional athletes. While his natural ability was clear, his inability not to be fucking enormous limited his playing time and contributions. He was waived by Cleveland after the 2004-05 season, going on to have aorta surgery, and a failed stint with the Nets.

#5 | Nikoloz Tskitishvili | Denver Nuggets | 2002

Other Notables Mistakes At #5: Jonathan Bender, Toronto Raptors, 1999 | Shelden Williams, Atlanta Hawks, 2006

If the Nuggets had snagged Tskitishvili in the middle of the second round, he may have been a nice pick-up. But as such an early pick, taken ahead of Nenê Hilario (7th), Amar’e Stoudemire (9th) and Caron Butler (10th), Tskitishvili was an abomination. Career stats: 11 minutes, 3.0 points, 1.8 rebounds (at 7′0″), 30.4% from the field (unbelievable), and nothing else.

Presumably inspired by the Dirk Nowitzki pick in 1998, the Nuggets were looking for size combined with a stroke. Big Niko had the former, and emphatically lacked the latter.

#4 | Marcus Fizer| Chicago Bulls | 2000

Other Notables Mistakes At #4: Eddy Curry, Chicago Bulls, 2001

Fizer was drafted into a Chicago frontcourt already packed full of Elton Brand. Despite the lacklustre situation, he received 22 minutes per outing in his rookie year, and gave back 9.5 points and 4.4 rebounds. Not good, but not horrible.

He never got any better. Never developed. Ended up playing in Israel, where the standard of play suited.

#3 | Adam Morrison | Charlotte Bobcats | 2006

Other Notables Mistakes At #3: Raef LaFrentz, Denver Nuggets, 1998

If Bobcats fans existed, the city of Charlotte would be bathed in tears whenever Morrison’s sad little mouse face popped up on their television sets, his slumped body hung next to the Lakers bench.

What a monumentally bad choice: a weak, defensively appalling shooter taken ahead of Tyrus Thomas (4th), Brandon Roy (6th) and Rudy Gay (8th). 2006 was a notoriously weak draft pool, but the Bobcats found a way to turn ill-fortune into a self-made embarrassment.

Morrison was given the green light as a rookie, rarely benched despite his 37.6% clip combining with a stunning lack of rebounding effort or playmaking ability. He was happily sent to the Lakers for a guy no one in Los Angeles liked (Vladimir Radmanovic), gifting Morrison one of the least-deserved championship rings in the history of the sport.

#2 | Marvin Williams | Atlanta Hawks | 2005

Other Notables Mistakes At #2: Stromile Swift, Vancouver Grizzlies, 2000 | Jay Williams, Chicago Bulls, 2002 (a wise pick, but turned out terribly once Williams nearly killed himself in a motorcycle accident in 2003) | Darko Miličić, Detroit Pistons, 2003

Marvin Williams is yet to show he’s a bust. He continues to improve, recently developing an accurate three-point shot, and sporadically staying with his man on the defensive end. But he’s yet to show he can really play. Yet to show he isn’t expendable. Yet to justify his high selection.

Especially when that pick came with Deron Williams (3rd) and Chris Paul (4th) still available. But even in a weaker draft, Williams was a reach. Stromile Swift may have been a bigger bust, but in terms of disappointment — and injury to a franchise — the Marvin pick takes it.

Special mention should go to Darko Miličić*, a wretched creature who has, at best, managed to contribute as a shot-swatter sporadically. At worst, he decimated the dreams of a Pistons community dreaming of a long-term championship contender with Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh on board.

Williams narrowly gets the nod due to his contributions being limited to inconsistent scoring, the most easily replaced NBA facility.

#1 | Kwame Brown | Washington Wizards | 2001

Other Notables Mistakes At #1: Michael Olowokandi, Los Angeles Clippers, 1998 | Kenyon Martin, New Jersey Nets, 2000

As a front office man, Michael Jordan has developed a reputation as a very good golfer. Picks like the fundamentally flawed Kwame Brown selection earned it for him. What a bad call. What a lazy selection.

Jordan saw nothing but upside in Brown, a dominant force in high school, a big man with post ability. Unfortunately, Brown was lazy, unmotivated, and famously small-handed. Jordan went for a home run selection, and was struck out. 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in his rookie year. Traded twice. Is consistenly mocked. Rarely contributes. Those same, small, sad hands.

And he was taken ahead of Pau Gasol (3rd), Jason Richardson (5th), Joe Johnson (10th), and even Gilbert Arenas (30th).

Just like Chuck Berry sang, it goes to show you never can tell.

Posted By: Anton

*This article originally, and unjustifiably, omitted Darko Miličić from consideration.

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Given last summer’s expectations, you could say that the Atlantic Division as a whole was a big let down. Even with titles to defend, new head coaches, and blockbuster trades, none of them were able to do anything worthwhile in the playoffs. Where do these teams go from here?

Boston Celtics – 62-20, 1st in Atlantic, eliminated in Eastern Conference Semifinals
Celtics salaries at HoopsHype

Do you hear that? It’s the sound of Celtics fans complaining. Their magical carriage ride to the Finals was curbed a little earlier than many expected; Garnett’s injury lingered, and in his absence, the Celtics looked merely average. On the bright side, that meant an opportunity for someone new to step up, and Glen Davis impressed many with a great playoff run. Unfortunately for Boston, that also means he will cost the Celtics a good deal of money to keep Davis, a restricted free agent. Already over the cap, re-signing their other young restricted free agent PF Leon Powe seems impossible at the moment. PG Eddie House played well, and the Celtics hope to catch a break and have him exercise his player option. All of those issues are very important, but the hot news is the rejected trade offer of Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen to the Pistons for Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey. The Celtics offering up Rondo and Allen in a trade is very telling. Despite GM Danny Ainge stating otherwise, perhaps there is a problem with Rondo’s attitude…why else would they ship out one of the top 5 point guards in the NBA? It seems Boston may be reluctant to commit to Rondo long term to the point that they are willing to deal him and take back a lesser floor general in Stuckey. Ray Allen’s expiring contract is a good trade chip because he can still play at a high level and he’ll be a free agent after next season, making him a hired gun of sorts. Future financial flexibility is important to maintaining a solid roster, even if it comes at the cost of winning a title as constructed. However, I still say you’ve got to pay Rondo and lock him up. The Celtics’ only selection in the draft (58) could be used to snag a big man to replace a PF lost in free agency; Alade Aminu of Georgia Tech could fit the bill if they choose not to draft a foreign project that won’t cost them any money now.

Philadelphia 76ers – 41-41, 2nd in Atlantic, eliminated in First Round
Sixers salaries at HoopsHype

Acquiring Elton Brand last summer from under the nose of the LA Clippers last summer was a bold move for the Sixers. Unfortunately, Elton Brand just seemed destined to be hurt last season, and given that big spend they would have been better off letting him team with Baron Davis (although the Clippers didn’t fair any better for the loss, either). When he did play, hs seemed tentative and timid, qualities not often found in his game. This offseason as Brand heals, the front office has to mend the rest of the team. PG Andre Miller is leaving as a free agent, and the 76ers are fine with it. While Miller is a good point guard, his ability to get to the hole was a bit redundant with Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young on the wings. Conversely, his awful outside shooting didn’t to the Philly offense any favors, allowing opposing defenses to leave him alone on the perimeter and clog the middle, hindering the effectiveness of Young and Iggy. Philadelphia’s only pick at 17 could yield a replacement PG for the team. Ty Lawson would look very good in a Sixers’ new/old uniform, as he can step in and play immediately. If he is gone, Jeff Teague would be a decent plan B. Showing more of a commitment to improved team shooting, the Sixers traded Reggie Evans to the Raptors for three-point specialist Jason Kapono. The Sixers aren’t in bad shape cap-wise, but could send Samuel Dalembert elsewhere for pieces if youngster Jason Smith can recover from a torn ACL. A healthy 76ers team with good point guard play could seriously make some noise for years to come, with all their key talent under contract for at least the next few seasons.

New Jersey Nets – 34-48, 3rd in Atlantic, missed playoffs
Nets salaries at HoopsWorld

Despite missing the playoffs…again…the New Jersey Nets have plenty to look forward to. Rookie PF/C Brook Lopez started slowly but had a great rookie season, particularly for a big man. Devin Harris took another step forward as he continued to develop into the type of lethal all-around offensive PG that I’d be willing to bet that Mark Cuban wishes the Mavericks had right now. With the talent on this roster, New Jersey could make a playoff push in the top-heavy East. However, with a smaller salary cap coming, the Nets could look to dump some salary. Vince Carter has been the topic of trade rumors for what seems like an eternity, and the talks aren’t likely to stop anytime soon (well, we know he won’t be going to San Antonio this offseason). Bobby Simmons’ $10.5M deal is expiring, but I think they will end up keeping him to get the cap relief. In the same vein, if a Carter deal is done, the Nets will have ample cap room for next summer’s free agent class. For the draft this year, the Nets’ #11 pick will likely be used for a post player, as Yi Jianlian has been mediocre at best. New Jersey will probably have their choice of Pitt’s DeJuan Blair or Wake Forest’s James Johnson to pair next to Lopez.

Toronto Raptors – 33-49, 4th in Atlantic, missed playoffs
Raptors salaries at HoopsHype

The Toronto Raptors are a very promising team that faces a great deal of uncertainty. If GM Bryan Colangelo can hold this roster together, they could build upon their strong finish from last season and finally perform up to their potential. If this happens, that will improve their chances of building around Chris Bosh, which Colangelo is convinced is the right move (I’m not as sure). The midseason trade for Shawn Marion had mixed results, as Marion didn’t fit in the offense as well as expected. Still, Toronto has expressed an interest in retaining the versatile forward. I’m not convinced Marion will ever return to Phoenix form, so I hope for the Raptors’ sake that they can keep him at a considerably cheaper rate. Swingman Anthony Parker is another unrestricted free agent that is important to the team’s success, especially since the deal to acquire rebounding help in Reggie Evans in exchange of Jason Kapono. The Raptors’ bench problems can be improved this offseason, both in free agency and in the draft. If any of their key pieces are lost, Jamal Crawford could be a target in a free agent signing or trade, as could Trevor Ariza or Matt Barnes. The #9 pick in the draft will likely be used to improve athleticism, and USC’s DeMar DeRozan should be a perfect fit. Alternatives include Earl Clark and Tyreke Evans.

New York Knicks – 32-50, 5th in Atlantic, missed playoffs
Knicks salaries at HoopsHype

GM Donnie Walsh got rid of Isaiah Thomas, found a fun coach in Mike D’Antoni, and vowed to make the team competitive sooner than later. D’Antoni was supposed to inject the type of energy that has been absent from Madison Square Garden for nearly a decade. Instead, the Knicks were bullied by visiting opponents in embarrassing fashion, including LeBron’s attempt to one-up Kobe back in February. To get things turned around enough to lure a big free agent next summer (ahem, LeBron), New York needs some important pieces. David Lee finally got the playing time he deserved last season, and he coasted through double-double after double-double. Unfortunately, the Knicks really want to keep cap space free for LeB—– err, next summer. Instead of letting Lee walk (he is restricted), they should try to swing a sign-and-trade. The Knicks definitely need a center and a point guard; Duhon was good for a short time, but ultimately won’t work. Orlando’s Rafer Alston seems to be on his way out after half a season, and Marcin Gortat is one of the most coveted big men this summer. New York needs legitimate size in the middle, and Rafer would love be let loose in his hometown in D’Antoni’s offense. New York has enough expiring contracts (Chris Duhon, Larry Hughes, Al Harrington, Cuttino Mobley totaling over $48 million) to spare one to get a deal done to acquire either player, perhaps a three-team deal. Chris Andersen may be a good consideration, given his energy, ability to run  and shot-blocking. The 8th pick in the draft will be of the utmost importance, with the rookie being given the chance to be the Knicks PG of the future. I’m sure D’Antoni would drool at the chance to get Ricky Rubio, but he will likely be gone. Though I’ve heard a lot about Stephen Curry, I think the Knicks will be better served taking a true point guard with the ability to distribute, and Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson or Jonny Flynn would be better options. To have their best shot and landing a top free-agent in 2010, the Knicks have to find the balance between spending wisely and projecting the idea that this team has the potential to do big things, if it only had one more piece to lead them.

Father Scott

Alright that sucked. The Celts got beat by a weak team led by a pretend superstar. At least that team is about to get King James’ balls coronated in its collective face.

But worry not Celts fans. Because look at this tasty nugget from the New York Daily News (via ESPN):

Coming off a season when he was demoted from the Nets’ starting lineup to the bench because of his lack of production, Yi Jianlian might have played his final game in New Jersey.

Team sources say the Nets are interested in trying to deal the 7-foot small forward they acquired from Milwaukee last summer for Richard Jefferson. “They’re talking about moving him,” said a source.

Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy. Danny call up NJ and get this large Asian man to Boston. KG will bark at him 18 hours a day until he learns to play with an ounce of passion.

Remember, this almost happened. It was widely reported that had we not landed Ray Allen, our rebuilding efforts would have centered around Yi, who we would have taken with that no. 5 pick (thank God we didn’t do that, though).

But it’s not too late. Tons of potential. Tons of skills. No D, but there’s plenty of time. We’ve seen how young guys can flourish with the Big Three — look at the improvement of Rondo, Perk, Powe, and BBD. Yi can do the same.

MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

Yi Jianlian is celebrated via this luxury Air Force 1. As a newcomer to the NBA his local celebrity in China is growing day by day. Nike chose to commemorate the phenom with woven leather paneling with crocodile embossed overlays. The leather midsole is done in the same creamy brown as the rest of the sneaker while the dark brown outsole compliments the color pallete well and rounds out this dinstinctive shoe. The shoe is exclusive to China but surely the most die hard AF1 head will find a way to get a pair shipped stateside. Via Kixandthecity

Over the past two seasons the Nets have gone from a premier team in the Eastern Conference to the basement of the entire league. The rebuilding process started off well when when the Nets traded Jason Kidd for Devin Harris and two first-round draft picks. Harris has become one of the premier point guards in the league, but unfortunately the Nets wasted the 2008 first-round pick. The Nets took Ryan Anderson with the 21st pick in the draft while players such as Nicolas Batum, Darrell Arthur, and Donte’ Greene were still on the board. Although I like Ryan Anderson, they chose him hours after trading Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee for Yi Jianlian, another face up power forward with a three-point shot. The Nets received Yi along along with Bobby Simmons. Although I am not a part of the Nets staff I would assume they could have gotten Charlie Villanueva rather than Yi for a player like Jefferson. The Nets figured that a guy who couldn’t produce in a small-market environment would come to New Jersey, start to play defense, and flourish under the spotlight. Unfortunately, as most would expect this didn’t happen and by the end of the 2008-2009 season Yi was seeing minutes in the single digits. Yi averaged 8.9 ppg and 5.6 rpg for the Nets while Villanueva averaged 16.2 ppg and 6.7 rpg for the Bucks. The Nets have placed all their eggs in the Lebron James basket and have refused to fill a void at small forward which they could have begun to address with the 21st pick in the 2008 draft. Instead they have overstocked themselves at the power forward position and regulated good, young players like Sean Williams to the bench. They traded their best defender and leading scorer (Jefferson) for a guy who averages 8.9 ppg and doesn’t play defense (Yi).  Hopefully the Nets will take some tips from the Portland Trailblazers and make some draft-day trades on June 25, 2009. They need to address the lack of a reliable small forward and dump Vince Carter’s salary in exchange for a few young players.  I would personally like to see the Nets try to trade Carter and Yi to Portland in exchange for LaMarcus Aldridge and Raef LaFrentz.

Nike has teamed up with Chinese basketball player to create the new Nike 1World Air Force One. The shoe has a cream leather upper with a woven and croc print and a chocolate brown sole. The release day is scheduled for May 17 but don’t get your hopes high, these sucka’s will be released primarily in Jianlian’ s homeland. There’s a will, there’s a way!

It’s just not a good one.  With the season winding down, you have a lot of national media writers posting their awards and such.  Steve Aschburner from Si.com did this as well, just with a little twist.  He gave out awards for the bad of the NBA season.  Included was his pick of Least Improved Player…Yi:

Yeah, right. It was Milwaukee’s fault and its lack of Chinese culture and limited opportunities afforded by former Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak and … and … and … The excuses can’t hide the fact that Yi has had ample opportunities with the Nets this season and has frittered away most of them. Yi has played himself out of New Jersey’s starting lineup and is averaging only 5.7 points since the All-Star break. He is shooting 38.5 percent for the season, to which we can only say, “Yao!”

If you can for a minute, lets ignore the terrible pun at the end.  Yes, Yi has been awful, and he has probably deserved this award, but Steve Aschburner fails to point out some key information in this post.  He mentions the PPG after the All-Star break, well that’s convient, he has been hurt and his minutes have been cut.  All I am saying is if you are going to bash players like this, at least be accurate (or explain why he only had 5.7 points after the All-Star break) in your bashing.  But like I said, yes Yi has been awful this year.