Post-lockout: The Rookies

The lockout is finally over, and don't get me wrong, I am extremely excited to watch LeBron try to redeem himself, Dirk's attempt to defend his title, and Grant Hill and Kurt Thomas still play. But my favorite thing about the NBA every year is without a doubt seeing how the rookies do.

This year's draft class was heavily criticized due to the lack of star power in it, which could be partly credited to a potential lockout looming (sure-fire lottery picks Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones, and Jared Sullinger pulled out of the draft because of it), but nonetheless is still stock full of guys who can be effective players in the NBA for 10-12 years. Here are my thoughts on how I think they will fare this season.

Rookie of the Year: Kemba Walker, Charlotte Bobcats

This is not just based off of how well he did in college. The Bobcats needed scoring going into the draft, and they came away with some. Charlotte as a team only averaged 93.3 points per game last year, which was good for second to last in the league. Kemba will have loads of opportunities to score the basketball in Charlotte, and a season-long average of around 20 ppg is actually pretty reasonable considering the absence of scoring there.

He will not only bring scoring, however. He will also bring leadership, defense, and maturity into Charlotte, some things they have never really had in their 7 year existence. This is why he will win the award.

Runner-up: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

Irving only played 11 games in college, but was still picked #1 by Cleveland.

In those 11 games, however, he played fairly well, posting averages of 17.5 points, 4.3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.6 three pointers in just 27.5 minutes per game. To put it into perspective, Derrick Rose averaged 14.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in 29.2 minutes per game while playing for the University of Memphis in 2007-08, and was named the MVP of the 2010-11 NBA season. Irving has a much different skill set than Rose, but will still be a very good point guard in the league. His three point shooting ability coming in only helps him, as Derrick Rose and John Wall went in without it and are now some of the best points around.

Almost in: Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves

The reason he won't win the award is because of the logjam at Williams' positions he plays in Minnesota. Kevin Love, their best player, starts at power forward, and Michael Beasley, a player with a similar game to Williams', starts at small forward. They will likely eat up the majority of the minutes there, and also most of the shots, leaving little for Williams. But despite all these things he will still be effective and in the running for rookie of the year, which tells you what he could do if he had a better opportunity.

Also watch out for:

Alec Burks, Utah Jazz

He could end up being the best player from this draft class when it's all said and done. He scored over 20 a game for Colorado, and grabbed 6.5 rebounds a game, an impressive number for a 6-6 guard. His glaring so-called "weakness" is his shooting ability. He shot just 29% from downtown in college, and his scouting report suggests that his shot loses its fluidity when he shoots past 15 feet. But, it won't be tough to adjust his shot mechanics in the NBA, as shooting is the easiest thing to fix. He will be a special player some day, and even figures to make a significant impact in his initial season.

Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets

Key players Kenyon Martin, JR Smith, and Wilson Chandler all signed overseas during the lockout, which was nothing but good news for Denver's first round draft pick Kenneth Faried. He was a force to be reckoned with playing at Morehead State, as he posted impressive averages of 17.3 points and 14.5 rebounds per game his senior season. Rebounding usually translates over to the NBA, and everyone loves a guy who gives his all every single possession. Expect him to have a solid rookie season.

Draft Review and Grades

The 2011 NBA draft probably won't produce as many stars as the previous ones have, but it sure will give the NBA a fresh new stock of useful role players. There were a good number of surprises that happened on draft night as well, so here are my pick-by-pick analyses and grades.

1 Cleveland Cavaliers- Kyrie Irving, PG, 6-3 191

He seemed to be the "right" pick for Cleveland, as the Cavs are in rebuilding mode and could use a point guard that could someday be up there with the best. He has good point guard qualities and could end up to be a Chris Paul-type player.

Grade: A

2 Minnesota Timberwolves- Derrick Williams, F, 6-8 240

So, the Wolves went with the best player available strategy and picked Derrick Williams at #2. He will be a nice player in this league, but one or two Timberwolves forwards may have to be moved to clear up the logjam that is present there. He will be one of the top candidates for rookie of the year next year if they can do that.

Grade: B

3 Utah Jazz- Enes Kanter, C, 6-11 272

Kanter was a solid pick for Utah, but it means that Paul Millsap's time in Utah is likely up. Millsap will be missed if he is traded because of his toughness and giving 100% every play, but Kanter will be able to be a similar player in the toughness sense. He will provide solid defense, good hustle and rebounding, and just giving his all. The Jazz have been looking for a center like this for a long time, and finally they have him. He should be able to lead them back to the playoffs as early as this year.

Grade: A

4 Cleveland Cavaliers- Tristan Thompson, PF, 6-9 227

Watching the Cavs taking Thompson at 4 was a bit surprising, but it makes some sense. He will be able to come in and help the Cavs with frontcourt defense and rebounding right off the bat. If they went with Jonas Valanciunas, who was the suspected pick, they would of had to wait a year for him to come in and play. I would have gone with that option, but nonetheless Thompson is a solid pick.

Grade: B

5 Toronto Raptors- Jonas Valanciunas, C, 6-10 224

Valanciunas will certainly be one of the Raptors' best players once he comes into the NBA in about a year. Although he will have to add some weight to compete with the burly bigs in the NBA, he will be a Pau Gasol kind of guy. And for a rebuilding Raptors team, there is no greater news than that.

Grade: A- (because of the wait)

6 Washington Wizards- Jan Vesely, F, 6-11 230

The Wizards were more than happy to snatch up the so-called "European Blake Griffin" with the sixth pick. He does not have the bulk of Griffin, but he definitely has the athletic ability. To be an All-Star, he most likely will have to beef up, but for right now he will be able to contribute nicely in an up-tempo system ran by exciting point guard John Wall.
Grade: A

7 Charlotte Bobcats- Bismack Biyombo, C, 6-9 245

The Bobcats brought in a nice haul this year including Biyombo, Kemba Walker, and Corey Maggette. Biyombo most likely won't be a big offensive contributor right when he enters the league, but certainly will bring the defense right away. He will be a lot like Ben Wallace. The Bobcats need offense badly, but still made an pretty good pick.

Grade: B-

8 Detroit Pistons- Brandon Knight, PG, 6-3 177

Knight slipped a bit after not being taken at #3 or #5 by two teams who were closely eyeing him. The Pistons finally ended up taking him at #8, and could mean changes are coming to the Pistons backcourt. They have Rodney Stuckey, Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, Rip Hamilton, and now Knight. They may be able to pick up some frontcourt strength in return for one of those guards.

Grade: C+

9 Charlotte Bobcats- Kemba Walker, PG, 6-1 184

Charlotte addressed their need for scoring by selecting UConn's explosive scoring point guard Kemba Walker at #9. He helped UConn to a national title this past year in college, and looks to bring his winning ways to the Bobcats, a team who has only made the playoffs once in its 7 year history. He will push D.J. Augustin for the starting job.

Grade: A-

10 Sacramento Kings- Jimmer Fredette, PG, 6-2 196

The Jimmer-mania is spreading to Sacramento. Although there are many fans, his doubters are strong as well. He can't handle the NBA style, he can't be a point guard, he can't play defense. Steve Nash and Stephen Curry received similar discouragement, and now look at them. He has proved doubters wrong before, and only looks to do it again in the NBA. The Kings will get a big rise in ticket sales, as well as a guy who can help a team compete.

Grade: A

11 Golden State Warriors- Klay Thompson, G/F, 6-7 206

Thompson is one of the best shooters in this draft. The problem is, the Warriors already have guards Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis on the roster. There have been Ellis trade rumors, but Golden State management has denied them and stressed that they are going to keep him. In that case, they could have done a lot better with this pick.

Grade: D

12 Utah Jazz- Alec Burks, G 6-6 193

Burks was a big time scorer for Colorado this past college season, posting 20.5 PPG. He is a slasher that has a solid mid-range game and a decent perimeter game. He only made 29% of his 3s last year, but his form isn't exactly bad, so it won't be much of an issue as he transitions to the pros. The Jazz were looking for a point guard in this draft, but still came out with a serviceable backcourt player.

Grade: B+

13 Phoenix Suns- Markieff Morris, PF, 6-9 241

I saw a pretty funny joke on Twitter after the Suns selected Markieff ahead of his twin brother Marcus. "Taylor Griffin, Robin Lopez, and Markieff Morris? I think the Suns are confused." Credits go to @draftexpress. However, Markieff will team up with Marcin Gortat in the frontcourt to give the Suns solid big man defense. They were looking for a guy who could help them out with defense up there, and they scored. Nice pick.

Grade: A-

14 Houston Rockets- Marcus Morris, F, 6-9 235

Morris will be a good NBA player, but probably won't be the next Carmelo Anthony as he insists. The Rockets are looking to make the playoffs again after missing out the past two years. Morris will strengthen their forward unit and help give them an extra push into the playoffs.

Grade: A-

15 San Antonio Spurs- Kawhi Leonard, F, 6-7 227

The Spurs are one of the smartest teams every year in the draft. Looking back at their past picks reveal that they were able to grab Manu Ginobili at #57 in 1999, Tony Parker at #28 in 2001, Luis Scola at #55 in 2002, George Hill at #26 in 2008, and DeJuan Blair at #37 in 2009. So, if they trade up to take a guy like Kawhi Leonard, you've got to trust them on it, even if they trade a stud like Hill. He will be able to help the Spurs right away as they continue to add young talent to replenish their fairly old team.

Grade: B

16 Philadelphia 76ers- Nikola Vucevic, C, 7-0 260

The Sixers came in looking for a big to help out inside, and they came away happy. Vucevic has one of the biggest bodies in this year's draft and may be able to take over Spencer Hawes' starting spot at center.

Grade: B+

17 New York Knicks- Iman Shumpert, G, 6-5 222

The Knicks wanted a defensive-minded guy, and got one when they went with combo guard Iman Shumpert at #17. Shumpert will be a nice defender at the NBA level, but the Knicks could have scored with arguably the best defender in the draft, Chris Singleton, who can defend 3 different positions.

Grade: B-

18 Washington Wizards- Chris Singleton, F, 6-9 230

Singleton, as stated above, is arguably the best defender in this year's draft. The Wizards were more than happy to select him when he fell past New York. He will be Washington's defensive stopper, and will be able to pick up 6-10 points a game by just running the break with John Wall.

Grade: A

19 Milwaukee Bucks- Tobias Harris, F, 6-8 223

Harris is noted as having one of the best work ethics in this draft. The Bucks picked up Stephen Jackson and Beno Udrih along with this pick, and traded Corey Maggette and his hefty contract. Harris has a nice scoring touch inside and outside and will look to help the Bucks climb back into the playoffs.

Grade: A

20 Houston Rockets- Donatas Motiejunas, PF, 7-0 220

I thought this was a reasonable "drop" for him after he was listed to be picked in or close to the lottery. His work ethic and desire is a concern, but his shooting and scoring skills are definitely not. This was a nice pickup for Houston at #20.

Grade: A-

21 Portland Trail Blazers- Nolan Smith, PG, 6-3 188

He went a little higher than his projected spot, but will still be an able contributor for Portland after the Andre Miller trade. He can score a bit and play solid defense and should be able to find some decent minutes here. He may even end up being a steal someday.

Grade: B

22 Denver Nuggets- Kenneth Faried, PF, 6-7 225

The Nuggets picked up a gem in Faried at #22. Kenyon Martin may be on his way out of town, and Faried will be able to contribute immediately in the NBA thanks to his hustle and rebounding skills.

Grade: A

23 Chicago Bulls- Nikola Mirotic, F, 6-10 225

This will probably be looked at as the biggest steal of the 2011 draft someday. Mirotic has the skills to be a lottery pick, but the thing is that he has a buyout problem that will keep him in Europe for 2 or 3 more years. The Bulls can afford to wait for this sharpshooting stud.

Grade: A

24 OKC Thunder- Reggie Jackson, PG, 6-3 208

Jackson is said to be a lot like Russell Westbrook, a guy that the Thunder already have. I'm not sure why they chose him, but it may make sense in a little while.

Grade: B

25 New Jersey Nets- Marshon Brooks, G, 6-5 195

Brooks fell quite a bit, but ended up being picked in the place he was first projected. The Nets should be happy that they were able to get this guy at #25, as he has received comparisons to Kobe Bryant. He may not turn out to be as high a caliber player as Kobe, but will still be a deadly scorer. He may even find a starting spot in NJ.

Grade: A

26 Denver Nuggets- Jordan Hamilton, F/G, 6-9 228

The Nuggets received this pick along with Andre Miller. Hamilton is a nice scorer who will be able to help Denver out on the wing. He was projected to go earlier, but I'm sure he will be happy to fall with a successful playoff team.

Grade: A

27 Boston Celtics- JaJuan Johnson, F, 6-10 220

Johnson has similarities to Kevin Garnett in his playing style. His stats also look a bit like Garnett's. He might not end up as great a player as Garnett, but playing on the same team as him certainly won't hurt. The Celtics were glad to snatch him up at 27.

Grade: A

28 Miami Heat- Norris Cole, PG, 6-2 174

The Heat got the point guard they were looking for. Cole had an enormous game against Youngstown State this past year, posting 41 points, 20 rebounds, and 9 assists. He will be able to contribute for the Heat.

Grade: A

29 San Antonio Spurs- Cory Joseph, PG, 6-3 186

The Spurs made a questionable pick here, but we might as well trust them as they don't make many draft-night mistakes. He will replace the traded George Hill.

Grade: B-

30 Chicago Bulls- Jimmy Butler, SF, 6-8 222

He has a cool story that is comparable to the movie "The Blind Side" that goes along with him. He is also a Marquette guard that could be overlooked, as Wesley Matthews was 2 years ago. He can lockdown on defense and has some good scoring skills.

Grade: A

2011 NBA Mock Draft 2.0

1 Cleveland Cavaliers- Kyrie Irving, PG

He is a lock for the Cavs at #1, and just has to wait until draft night to reassure everybody. He is a guy who has abilities to make people around him better. If you have a guy like that in a draft class pretty much made up entirely of role players, you take him. Plus, the Cavs could use a young point guard in their rebuilding stage, so why not take the best available in the draft?

Comparison: Tony Parker

2 Minnesota Timberwolves- Derrick Williams, SF/PF

He might not even play a game as a Timberwolf, they might just pick him for trade value. They can package Williams with a number of players on their roster and nab some solid kids. But, whoever Williams ends up with, he will be in consideration for the rookie of the year award for this year.

Comparison: Michael Beasley

3 Utah Jazz- Brandon Knight, PG

They seem to be set on taking Knight on draft night. He will be their point guard of the future. He is an all-around type of guy; he can defend, distribute, score, and has nice size. He also is an extremely smart guy, a smart guy that eventually becomes a head coach someday. The Jazz would look forward to a bright future consisting of Knight, power forward Derrick Favors, and Al Jefferson.

Comparison: Jrue Holiday

4 Cleveland Cavaliers- Enes Kanter, C

With Irving theoretically now on board, the Cavs look to add a solid big man to their roster. And Enes Kanter is available. Kanter has shown flashes of dominance, like in the Nike Hoop Summit a year ago in which he posted 34 points and 11 rebounds against some of the best college bigs, but is still considered a question mark due to his not playing this year for Kentucky. But, he draws comparisons to Al Horford, and you can't pass a talent up like that in rebuilding mode.

Comparison: Al Horford

5 Toronto Raptors- Jan Vesely SF/PF

The Raptors would probably love to have a guy like Vesely on their team. They pretty much are set at every position except small forward, so he fits well. He is athletic and plays solid defense, much like Andrei Kirilenko.

Comparison: Andrei Kirilenko

6 Washington Wizards- Kawhi Leonard, SF/PF

Leonard is one of those guys that does everything hard. His defense, rebounding, and hustle will convince the Wiz, the worst rebounding team in the league, to take him at #6. He also has improved on his jump shot, and will play with rising point guard John Wall and shot-blocking center JaVale McGee.

Comparison: Gerald Wallace

7 Sacramento Kings- Kemba Walker, PG

Jimmer Fredette is also a possible pick for them here, but I think they will end up taking Walker if Kawhi Leonard isn't available. Walker can score and help to keep Tyreke Evans' hands off the ball so much. His quickness will also be able to help him to defend well in the NBA, and his handle and court vision are pretty solid as well. The Kings are still a ways away from the playoffs, but grabbing Walker could help them snatch up a few more wins.

Comparison: Kyle Lowry

8 Detroit Pistons- Jonas Valanciunas, C/PF

Contract issues like those of Ricky Rubio's in the 2009 draft have caused him to drop a little. He could be the best player from this draft one day, however. He could be a top 5 pick, but will slip on draft day thanks to the contract thing. But, he has great desire and energy to play defense, a lot like Joakim Noah except with a little more offense, and will just have to beef up in the next year or two to become a legit starting center, and eventually, an All-star. He would team up with Pistons big Greg Monroe to form a tough frontcourt.

Comparison: Joakim Noah with more offense

9 Charlotte Bobcats- Klay Thompson, SF/SG

The Bobcats finished second to last in team scoring last year and are looking for a swingman to replace Gerald Wallace after he was traded to Portland at the deadline in February. Thompson is one of the better scorers in this draft and could help the Bobcats boost up their scoring average significantly. The knock on him that are scaring teams away is that he got in trouble with marijuana back in March. But, he since has said that it was just a little mistake and has put it behind him. If I were the Bobcats, I wouldn't worry about it and just draft him.

Comparison: In between Allan Houston and Kyle Korver

10 Milwaukee Bucks- Alec Burks, SG

Burks is another one of the draft's better scorers. He has nice length, good ball handling skills, and solid passing skills. The Bucks are looking for a scorer after finishing last in the NBA in scoring last season, and Burks is probably the best one available here.

Comparison: Eddie Jones

11 Golden State Warriors- Bismack Biyombo, C/PF

Biyombo will be able to help Epke Udoh defend around the basket if the Warriors pick him. He is young and has huge potential, but will still start out in the NBA as a Ben Wallace-type guy. If I were the Warriors, I wouldn't waste any time to snatch this guy up.

Comparison: Ben Wallace

12 Utah Jazz- Chris Singleton, SF

Singleton was arguably the best defender in college basketball last year, and with Andrei Kirilenko most likely going elsewhere this offseason, he would be a solid pick to replace him at 12. If they select a big man at #3 instead of Brandon Knight, this pick would most likely get them Jimmer.

Comparison: Bruce Bowen

13 Phoenix Suns- Jimmer Fredette, PG

Jimmer could be picked anywhere from 7-20, but I think he'll end up in the middle. As I have said before, Phoenix is an ideal place for him to land. Steve Nash could help him transition from college scorer to NBA point guard effectively, just as he did back in '96 when he was drafted out of Santa Clara as a scoring point guard. Kemba Walker said he was impressed by Fredette's passing ability in a workout with the Jazz, so the skills to possibly be a Nash type player is there.

Comparison: Mark Price

14 Houston Rockets- Marcus Morris, SF/PF

Morris has a solid inside-outside game and an NBA-ready body. He could be one of those "too big for 3's and too quick for 4's to guard him" guys. The Rockets like to stockpile on role players, and since this draft is full of them and short on franchise stars, they might as well add another one.

Comparison: Al Harrington

15 Indiana Pacers- Marshon Brooks, SG/PG

The Pacers would love to have a consistent scorer that would ease some of the offensive pressure off of Danny Granger. Brooks is their man. He has been called a little selfish with the ball, but nevertheless will be a steal for Indiana at #15.

Comparison: poor man's Kobe

16 Philadelphia 76ers- Markieff Morris, PF

Although looking almost the exact same as his twin brother Marcus, he has a much different game than him. His brother Marcus is more of an offensive player, while he is more of a scrappy post player who plays defense and grabs rebounds. The Sixers are looking for frontcourt players like that and he has expressed his interest in playing there, so it's a perfect fit.

Comparison: Antonio McDyess

17 New York Knicks- Kenneth Faried, PF

The Knicks are also looking to add defense to their roster, and Faried is one of the best at this point. He hustles all the time, rebounds extremely well, and has drawn comparisons to Dennis Rodman in terms of size and abilities. He would be a serviceable backup big man for New York at power forward, and possibly center if they go with a small lineup.

18 Washington Wizards- Jordan Hamilton, SF/SG

With this pick, the Wizards likely will go with a scoring swingman, and Hamilton fits the bill nicely. He will help out John Wall and Jordan Crawford in the backcourt.

Comparisons: Dorell Wright/Martell Webster

19 Charlotte Bobcats- Donatas Motiejunas, PF/C

The thing I hear about this guy that makes me question why he is being placed so high on mock drafts is that he doesn't really seem to like playing basketball. He is good at it and has loads of potential thanks to his 7 foot body and shooting touch, but without desire, all that talent goes to waste. The Bobcats need to add big men, and Motiejunas is not too risky to grab if he's available.

Comparison: Andrea Bargnani

20 Minnesota Timberwolves- Tyler Honeycutt, SF/SG

Honeycutt could be another UCLA player who does a lot better in the pros than in college (e.g. Russell Westbrook, Jrue Holiday, Darren Collison, Arron Afflalo, Trevor Ariza). The T-Wolves could pick pretty much anyone here, however, as many draft day trades are sure to come.

Comparison: Trevor Ariza/Tayshaun Prince

21 Portland Trail Blazers- Darius Morris, PG

And to replace Andre Miller the Blazers pick Andre Miller #2! Miller is aging now and isn't likely to stick with the Blazers much longer, so why not just kind of renew him by picking a younger one in the draft?

Comparison: Andre Miller

22 Denver Nuggets- Tobias Harris, SF/PF

His work ethic is what will make him a great NBA player one day. From the time the college season ended to when he started working out for teams, he had already lost 15 pounds. With Wilson Chandler possibly out the door this summer, Harris would be a solid pickup- and a steal at this point.

Comparison: Boris Diaw

23 Houston Rockets- Jeremy Tyler, C

The Rockets have question marks surrounding their frontcourt, with Yao possibly done, Chuck Hayes a free agent, and Hasheem Thabeet possibly turning out to be a bust. They will likely go with a big at this pick just to be safe, and Tyler would be a nice one.

Comparison: Jason Thompson

24 OKC Thunder- Kyle Singler, SF/PF

The Thunder would like to grab a shooter with their first round pick, and Singler would be a solid pick.

Comparison: Mike Dunleavy

25 Boston Celtics- Nikola Vucevic, C

The Celtics always seem to make a pick that fits with the team nicely, and if they pick Vucevic, the trend would continue. They traded Kendrick Perkins at the deadline, Shaq retired, and Jermaine O'Neal seems to miss a nice chunk of games every season. Going with Vucevic, the biggest player in the draft, would help to patch those issues up at center a little.

Comparison: Nenad Krstic/Mehmet Okur

26 Dallas Mavericks- Trey Thompkins, PF

His conditioning will cause him to fall in the draft, but if he ends up with a team like Dallas, he will turn out well. The Mavs would be an intriguing team to land with, he could learn from guys like Dirk, Shawn Marion, and Tyson Chandler and eventually become a pretty studly guy in the NBA.

Comparison: Kurt Thomas

27 New Jersey Nets- Justin Harper, PF/C

Harper is a big man who can open up the floor with his 3 point shooting. The Nets could go anywhere with this pick, and this is one of the ways.

Comparison: Channing Frye

28 Chicago Bulls- Shelvin Mack, PG/SG

The Bulls are looking for a backup point guard to Rose, and Mack would be a nice one.

Comparison: Derek Fisher

29 San Antonio Spurs- Nikola Mirotic, C

Mirotic could be another international late-round steal for San Antonio. He can score a lot like Andrea Bargnani, but won't be in the league for a few more years.

Comparison: Andrea Bargnani

30 Chicago Bulls- Iman Shumpert, SG/PG

The Bulls are looking to strengthen their backcourt in this draft, and Shumpert could surprise lots of people in a few years with his defensive skills and athleticism.

Comparison: Tony Allen

2011 1st Mock Draft

Derrick Williams and Kyrie Irving are some of the best players in this year's draft class

Here are my early predictions for what I think will happen on draft night.

1 Cleveland Cavaliers- Derrick Williams

With Kyrie Irving being somewhat of a question mark due to only playing a small amount of college games during his freshman season with Duke, in addition to not participating in the Chicago Draft Combine drills, Derrick Williams would be the better and safer #1 pick. He is athletic, can shoot mid range jumpers, rebound, play in the post, hit some 3's, and sometimes just flat out dominate, as he did against Duke in April to knock them out of the NCAA tournament. I see him being a Michael Beasley-type player. And with a Cleveland team in need of a legit starting small forward, this pick only makes sense.

2 Minnesota Timberwolves- Enes Kanter

This pick has been in trade rumors, so this might not even be Minnesota's pick on draft night. But, if they were to hold on to it, they should pick Enes Kanter of Turkey. He is an athletic big man who has received comparisons to Al Horford. If an Al Horford-esque player is on the board, Minnesota should go after him.

3 Utah Jazz- Kyrie Irving

If Irving does indeed slip to #3, the Jazz should happily snatch him up. Although there is uncertainty surrounding him, Chris Paul and Tony Parker comparisons have been mentioned, and when you have a guy like that available and are willing to get a new point guard, you get him. If they can get him, then they might be able to get one or two good pieces for Devin Harris in a trade.

4 Cleveland Cavaliers- Brandon Knight

Rebuilding Cleveland could also use a young talented point guard to go along with Derrick Williams. Knight is probably the best available one here, and veteran guard Baron Davis could help him become a good one. He has been compared to Jrue Holiday.

5 Toronto Raptors- Kawhi Leonard

The Raptors could use a defensive forward like Leonard on their roster. They, like Cleveland, are also in rebuilding mode after losing their star player to Miami last offseason. Their picks in past years have been solid, notably DeMar DeRozan and Ed Davis. Leonard, compared to Gerald Wallace, would also be a solid one.

6 Washington Wizards- Jan Vesely

The Wizards will get back into the playoffs someday. An Andrei Kirilenko-type player, Vesely would fit in nicely with the young core of John Wall, JaVale McGee, and Jordan Crawford.

7 Sacramento Kings- Kemba Walker

The Kings need a guard who can help out Tyreke Evans in the backcourt. By picking Walker, they get scoring, defense, quickness, and the ability to distribute the ball successfully. Evans can also do all those things, but he is a 2-guard. Although he might not be as great a player as Allen Iverson, he certainly has qualities like him. He could turn out to be a great, great pick, just adding to their great picks of Evans and big man DeMarcus Cousins in past years.

8 Detroit Pistons- Bismack Biyombo

A defensive center to replace the aging Ben Wallace could help the Pistons regain their title as Eastern Conference powerhouses. They do need to sort out the problems in coaching, and see if they can move Rip Hamilton somewhere for some legit pieces, but picking Biyombo would certainly help them.

9 Charlotte Bobcats- Jonas Valanciunas

The Bobcats could use a starting center, as Kwame Brown has been ok, but not great. Valanciunas has good potential, and has a game sort of like Joakim Noah's. A guy like that would be welcome on this defensive-minded Bobcats team.

10 Milwaukee Bucks- Alec Burks

Burks could be the next big shooting guard. His ability to score is tremendous, and he can certainly be called an all-around player. The Bucks are in need of a shooting guard, and he could turn out to be a great one.

11 Golden State Warriors- Marcus Morris

Marcus Morris is a 4 who can score pretty well, and also slide down to the 3 sometimes. The Warriors could use some strengthening in the frontcourt, and Marcus would be a nice player for them.

12 Utah Jazz- Chris Singleton

Singleton is one of those defensive guys who shuts down the other team's best player. The Jazz may be losing Andrei Kirilenko to free agency this year, and Singleton would replace him nicely. He could be a total stud for Utah, and a great pick at #12.

13 Phoenix Suns- Jimmer Fredette

Phoenix would be a terrific place for Fredette to land. He has been seen by some to be like Steve Nash. When Nash came out of Santa Clara, he was also seen as a scoring guard that didn't get as many assists. Well, Nash is playing for Phoenix right now and could help Jimmer become the next him. If they can get that to happen, Phoenix has a very bright and exciting future ahead of them.

14 Houston Rockets- Klay Thompson

Thompson is one of the premier shooters in this draft, and could give the Rockets that extra offensive punch. They could use a big man, but not many would be as much worth as taking Thompson at #14. Kyle Korver is a legitimate comparison.

Finals Predictions

I haven't posted in about 5 months or so, and with the Finals starting tomorrow and the draft in 24 days, it's a good time to start off again.

3 Dallas Mavericks- 2 Miami Heat

This is an intriguing matchup for a few reasons. First, both teams have been fantastic in this postseason. For the Mavs, their whole team has been playing well. They have received huge contributions from guys like J.J. Barea and Shawn Marion, and also getting more than expected out of usual contributors Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry. Also, Jason Kidd is playing a lot younger than his 38-year old age suggests. For the Heat, the three-headed monster they created last July has surpassed expectations that were given after it was put together. "They won't make the Finals this year, they have to mesh for at least a year and then they'll be at the top." However, they have meshed during trials they have faced throughout the regular season and now find themselves at the pinnacle of American Basketball, the NBA Finals due to their great play during the postseason. Second, it is a re-do of the two team's 2006 matchup, in which the Heat found themselves down 0-2, but then rallied to win the next 4 games and the whole thing.

Key to the Finals:

Dirk Nowitzki- Nowitzki is the key guy for both sides. The Mavs need him to keep up his virtually unstoppable play throughout the Finals if they want to come away with the Larry O'Brien trophy. On the other hand, the Heat need to stop him from torching them if they want to win it all. They will probably go through most of their roster defending Nowitzki.

Prediction: Mavs in 7

I think this Finals will be one of the most exciting in a while. Dirk Nowitzki is playing ridiculously amazing, the duo of Wade and James is tantalizing, and J.J. Barea is lighting it up. But, I'm going with Dallas.

Mid-Season thoughts

Amare Stoudemire and Blake Griffin are trying to sneak their teams into the playoffs after a combined 14 years of not doing so

The NBA has just reached the midpoint of its 2010-11 season. Here are some of my thoughts about what has happened so far.

1. Blake Griffin has been destroying everyone all around. He is posting a MVP-like line of 22.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, plus an impressive 33 double-doubles to go with a load of incredible eye-popping in-game dunks. Oh yeah, and he's only playing his first season.

Also, his team, the L.A. Clippers, have been making quite the comeback. After starting out 5-18, they have since improved to 15-25, a record that continues to be improved. They will be a very, very good team in years to come if they keep this young talented core together.

2. The Miami Heat have bounced way back from their disappointing start to the season, and although they are currently riding a 4 game winning streak which could be credited to the absence of LeBron James due to injury, they have still looked pretty great. Expect a title in the next 2-3 years from them.

3. John Wall has been looking pretty good in his first NBA season, and even though he probably won't catch up to Griffin in the Rookie of the Year race, he still looks to revive the Wizards back into the playoff team they once were.

4. The Utah Jazz are the comeback kings of the league. It's exciting to watch them play, and I love how Jerry Sloan doesn't give up on his young guys. That's why C.J. Miles, Kyrylo Fesenko, Paul Millsap, and Ronnie Price have been able to be great, key contributors to this team. And why Sloan has been able to hold on to his same job for 23 years.

5. It seems as if the Denver Nuggets are becoming torn apart because of the Carmelo Anthony trade talks. New supposed "trade offers" are being posted constantly, and one day it seems Melo will be gone within 48 hours, and then another day it seems like he won't be dealt until the trade deadline, which is near the end of February. An observation I have made is that Chauncey Billups seems frustrated about the trade talks. He wants to finish his career in Colorado, as that's where he has been for the majority of his life. But, instead, he is reportedly being included in talks with the New Jersey Nets and could end up there. The Nuggets are 5-4 in January, bringing their overall record to 23-17.

6. The New York Knicks are probably one of the most pleasant surprises this season. Unexpectedly, Raymond Felton and Amare Stoudemire have been rallying New York game after game after game, and they are smelling the sweet scent of their first playoff appearance since 2001. Madison Square Garden is being filled up more, and the Big Apple has a solid, exciting team to cheer about for years to come.

Slowly, but Surely

Pages of clutch plays belong to once-beloved superstar Gilbert Arenas. And with a fresh new start in Orlando starting up, can he strike up the match again?

Arenas had a stretch of seasons (2004-07) in which he put up season scoring averages of 25.5, 29.3, and 28.4. All 3 of those averages were within the top 10 of that particular year, with the latter two in the top 4. His numbers have since declined, thanks to nagging injuries and his infamous gun incident last year. This season's stats aren't of the 05-06, but they could climb back up there in the next few years if his time continues to be magnified. His insertion into this Orlando Magic offense is positive, and he could revert back into his All-Star form once he gets everything down and becomes more comfortable in the city & offense.

Orlando's offense consists of 6-11, 260 pound beast Dwight Howard, who is putting up 21.3 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks alongside a beautiful 25.1+ efficiency rate, in the post, with 4 other players lining the perimeter. The offense revolves around Howard, and he is their first couple of options due to his talents and strengths that allow him to own the paint in almost every NBA city. Just a simple example of how the offense succeeds: Say, Dwight Howard is just plain dominating one game with the opposition in a man-to-man defense. After they think they have taken a good enough of a beating from Howard, they bring a double team to try and slow him down. This is where 3-point shooters like Arenas come in. Double teams always leave one man on the court open, and for the Magic, that man is usually a man who is capable of knocking down open threes.

The Magic are stocked up on shooters for this reason, including guys like Arenas, Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Quentin Richardson and J.J. Redick, who can all receive passes and knock down jumpers all day. Once Arenas gets more fitted and comfortable in Orlando's offense, he will return to his Hibachi form. Slowly, sure, but also definite. He will get there, he just needs time. And as a big Arenas fan, I will love to see it happen. Go Magic!



UPDATE: Arenas recently had his best game of his Orlando Magic career against the Cavaliers on Tuesday night, with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting (including 5-of-8 on 3 point field goals), 6 rebounds (all defensive), 11 assists, 3 steals, and a plus-minus rating of +24 in about 32 minutes of playing time. As I have said, he's coming around.

Wizard fever

I have Wizard fever. This sounds very cheesy, I realize, but the combination of John Wall and Gilbert Arenas keeps accumulating in my mind and I've got to let it all out. (And, I successfully pulled off grabbing both of them in my league's fantasy draft this year, a big plus of happiness for me.)

John Wall has reportedly been very impressive throughout Washington Wizards training camp this year, and he showed glimpses of SuperStardom in his first preseason game against Dallas by putting up the likes of 21 points, 4 steals, and 9 assists in 38 minutes (+16 plus/minus numbers). Sure, it's just the preseason and teams don't give their main stars much run, but it still is very promising, especially for a rookie. He is also extremely fast, and doesn't turn the ball over very often. Wall will be, mark my words, one of the best point guards to run the courts of the NBA ever. That might be kind of a stretch considering it's only his first year, but I have a feeling that he will be a really good player. Wizards coach Flip Saunders praised Wall, saying he has "unbelievable speed" and that he "makes good decisions". If this doesn't sound promising for a player, let alone a young rookie point guard, I don't know what is.

Gilbert Arenas looks to bounce back to his love of basketball after only playing a combined 47 games the past 3 seasons. He is looking like Gilbert again, bailing out his team in low shot and game clock situations. Hitting threes, providing scoring, a little dishing of the ball, and he is bringing more of a consistent and efficient approach to his game. I'd guess that now that with Wall and Kirk Hinrich manning the point guard duties, it makes it a whole lot less stressful for Arenas because he doesn't have to worry about running the team and instead can focus on his focal point- scoring.

Gilbert also has been very positive about Wall, calling him Batman and himself Robin, and saying “He's going to be great...he has a knack for finding people and getting to the basket.", while also saying that he is teaching John the "ins and the outs of the game". Chemistry is building up between these two talented guards, and that is nothing but fantastic.

JaVale McGee also looked promising in the summer league, and in his first preseason game, he had 13 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 2 steals. I still like him as an effective starting center for Washington, even though his defensive rebounding is often criticized. He still only is 22 years old, and can fill up the block column impressively. They can get some good years in the future from him.

Yi Jianlian was impressive in the World Championships for China this summer (20.2 points and 10.6 rebounds a game) and looks to translate it over to the NBA. Even though the post game that he used in China wasn't shown too much in this game, he still managed to post numbers of 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks in just 22 minutes. Again, this is just the preseason, but it's nice to hear about guys you want to be successful have a good start to their season.

I like Andray Blatche. 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals in the first game. Even though he doesn't get many rebounds or nice defensive plays, he can still light up the scoreboard and is doing a nice job in replacing Antawn Jamison after he was traded to Cleveland back in February. Watch out for him posting big scoring numbers this year, because it is very likely to happen.

I am really excited about this upcoming year. The three guard combo of Kirk Hinrich (who's plus/minus numbers were +27 in the Dallas game), Wall, and Arenas was said to be the most effective lineup for them. The frontcourt is looking young but exciting with Blatche, McGee, Yi, and Hilton Armstrong, and I'm also anxious to watch swingmen Josh Howard, Al Thornton, Nick Young, Trevor Booker, and Kevin Seraphin play. Let's go Wizards!

Lakers face even tougher competition this year on journey to Three-Peat

The Lakers recently won the NBA championship, making them back-to-back champs for the first time since the Shaq-Kobe era. The question is, with all these Eastern Conference teams stacking talent and the Thunder pacing themselves to overthrow the Lakers back West, can they do it again?

I plan to answer this question after I point out and describe each team's moves over the offseason, plus providing a prediction of where they may end up when it's the end of their season. Here it goes:

Boston Celtics
Boston really wants to get back at LA for beating them this year. How did they prepare for such a thing? Well, they started off the offseason by drafting potential steals Avery Bradley and Luke Harangody. Then, promising Turkish big man Semih Erden was signed, and Ray Allen re-signed afterwards. After that, they signed big man Jermaine O'Neal to a contract, a guy that once averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds. Forwards Paul Pierce and Marquis Daniels re-signed after that, and then the Celtics got scoring guard Von Wafer and former superstar Shaquille O'Neal to come onto the Green Wagon. Big man Rasheed Wallace retired and was waived by Boston on August 10th, and lastly, Boston brought in Delonte West, a man who spent his first three seasons in Boston. So, they polished up their backcourt a little more, plus stuck some steroids in their frontcourt. They definitely aren't going to flourish long term wise, but for now, they'll be destroying teams in the postseason, just what they want.

Where I think they'll end up:
Lose to Miami (as a 4 seed) in the Eastern Conference Semifinals
Boston is good, especially playoff-wise, but Miami and Orlando are just too good. Boston will give Miami some big man problems by throwing the O'Neals, Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, and Glen Davis all at them, but the trio of Bosh, Wade, and LeBron still should be able to hold them off.

Orlando Magic
Orlando didn't make any drastic changes, as compared to the year before, when they lost key forward Hedo Turkoglu, traded Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston, and Tony Battie, and then added Vince Carter, Ryan Anderson, Brandon Bass, Matt Barnes, and Jason Williams, a couple of months removed from making it to the NBA finals. But, they still made some pretty decent changes, such as grabbing 3 point specialist Quentin Richardson, backup point guard Chris Duhon, and big men Daniel Orton and Stanley Robinson in the draft, all while keeping their core of Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, and Jameer Nelson. The only blow to this team is that they lost defensive beast Matt Barnes to the Lakers. So, they are still a very dangerous team, and will give everyone a run for their money.

Where I think they'll end up:
Lose to Miami in Eastern Conference Finals (as a 2 seed)
Orlando will also give Miami some big man problems, as Boston (potentially) will, but it will be more manageable for Miami to overcome. Sure, Dwight Howard is the most dominant center in the world, and Orlando has fantastic shooting and a crazy deep bench, but Miami is just too good to go down and will blindside the Magic to reach the Finals.

Miami Heat
Of course, they added LeBron James and Chris Bosh to go along with Dwyane Wade, but those guys alone won't give you a championship. So, they added big men Zyrdunas Ilgauskas, Dexter Pittman, and Juwan Howard, swingmen Mike Miller and Da'Sean Butler, and guards Eddie House and Patrick Beverley. They also retained lots of players from last year's squad: Joel Anthony, Jamaal Magloire, Udonis Haslem, James Jones, Mario Chalmers, and Carlos Arroyo. A pretty good supporting cast, to an amazing team, could bring them a championship this year. But they also have to stir in factors like coaching, work ethics, egos, and chemistry, which could prevent them from winning it all until next year.

Where I think they'll end up:
Lose to Los Angeles Lakers in NBA Finals
Criticism will come down the street whether I pick Miami to win it all or not. But, I'm going with LA once again. They lost D.J. Mbenga, Josh Powell, and Jordan Farmar, but quickly made replacements with defensive menace Matt Barnes, veteran point guard Steve Blake, and 37-year old shot blocker Theo Ratliff. And, on paper and (potentially) the court, they are great replacements. Although Miami has a frightening team, Los Angeles will take the title home.

Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder probably gave the Lakers their toughest test the whole playoffs, besides of course the 7-game Finals series between the Celtics. They came into a ridiculously tight Western Conference playoffs as a #8 seed, and almost brought Los Angeles down. Kevin Durant led the league in scoring last season with a 30.1 average, meaning he has essentially added about 5 ppg onto his average every year since he started the league in 2007-08. Oh yeah, and he'll be 22 at the start of the season. Makes you wonder if he'll ever crack 40-45 ppg in a year, or maybe a pretty optimistic 50. Anyway, it's not just Durant, obviously. Point guard Russell Westbrook was blazing in his sophomore year, averaging 16 points, almost 5 rebounds, and 8 assists, then upping his PPG to 20.5, and both rebounds and assists were at 6 a game. Not to mention he can guard opposing point guards fairly well and can explode to the basket at virtually any time he feels like it. Jeff Green has also been a consistent rotation player, with Thabo Sefolosha, James Harden, and Eric Maynor also successful in the backcourt. The team doesn't make many moves over the offseason, instead, they grow as a team and develop their young players. And it works very well. Watch out, NBA teams, for the next 10-15 years.

Where I think they'll end up:
Lose to Los Angeles Lakers (as a 2 seed) in Western Conference Semifinals
This is probably one of the last seasons for LA to dominate the West, then Oklahoma City will step in their spot and start doing it themselves. Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook are just too good, and they are just a couple years away from multiple title runs. I don't just mean 2 or 3. The Thunder will be a dynasty, remember my words.

Who to watch out for this season

This is the time of year when basketball news is pretty much dead, and since I am not much of a football fanatic, although I do enjoy it, here is a list of players I compiled to watch out for when the NBA season starts in October.

Point Guards:

Darren Collison, Indiana Pacers
He got traded to Indiana this summer, a team that was desperately searching for a point guard is getting a guy who thrived in Chris Paul's absence. Collison will be a beast in Indiana. He is joining a team with an already proven scorer in Danny Granger, a rising center in Roy Hibbert, and exciting young players Paul George, Magnum Rolle, and Brandon Rush. He will now be given the full starting point guard duties, which is sure to boost up his skills and his numbers, and also his teammates. His leadership is what will bring Indiana back onto the winning side.

Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks
Mike Bibby is getting older, and that means Teague's time is coming soon. As he continues to age, Teague will find himself with more and more playing time. Soon, he will be the starting point guard of the Atlanta Hawks. As a second year player, he already is going to get more exposure, which will hopefully help him and set him on the right path so that he can be a legitimate NBA point guard.

Roddy Beaubois, Dallas Mavericks
He opened some eyes up last year. I admit, before the 2009 NBA draft, I never even heard of him. I didn't even know he was going to be in the draft. But, he already looks like one of the star PG's of the future. The Mavs got a huge future piece in him, and his role will continue to increase as the older guys get...older.

Shooting Guards:

Terrence Williams, New Jersey Nets
Williams finds himself with a possible heap of playing time. With Chris Douglas-Roberts and Courtney Lee both traded out this season, the now-sophomore will get much more run than he did in his rookie year. Which opens up grand possibilities. He averaged 12.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2.3 steals in college with Louisville before being picked #9 by New Jersey in 2009. He even showed great promise near the end of last season, with a triple double of 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Chicago Bulls on 4/9/10, and then 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists three nights later against the Charlotte Bobcats. Although it looks as if he is very streaky fantasy basketball-wise, he still has loads of time to patch that up and turn New Jersey into a freaky contender in a little while, with center Brook Lopez, #3 draft pick big man Derrick Favors, and point guard Devin Harris. Watch out for Williams not just this season, but for the next 5-10 years. Maybe Mikhail Prokorov's words will be backed up.

J.J. Redick, Orlando Magic
It looks as if Redick will bring back the days when he starred at Duke in college. That's 26.8 points a game on 47% field goal shooting and a killer 42% 3 point field goal shooting in 2005-06. The Magic picked him #11 back in '06, and with Vince Carter aging and Matt Barnes in LA Lakers land, it looks like he could be up for the best season of his NBA career.

Leandro Barbosa, Toronto Raptors
We all know he is lightning speed, and will seriously up the tempo of this Raptors' offense. He hasn't gotten much playing time in the past couple years due to having a guy in Jason Richardson who gets 30+ minutes a game. Barbosa should be able to grasp a hold of some legitimate playing time in Toronto, and if that happens, he definitely is one to place your quickest and strongest defender on. Which means, as translated, he is one to watch out for this season.

Small Forwards:

Brandan Wright, Golden State Warriors
I hardly ever heard of the guy, so I decided to check out a Youtube highlight reel, which I guess isn't always the best solution. But, it gave answers thankfully. Wright is a long, athletic forward who can score, rebound, and block shots. Oh, and he has a 7 foot 5 wingspan. He didn't play this last year due to injuries, but if he can be healthy this year, he certainly will be a guy to watch out for. You can't always take the Warriors for granted, or this will happen: (1:36-2:06 in the video)



Michael Beasley, Minnesota Timberwolves
It's kind of hard to tell what will go down in Minnesota this year, but Beasley should probably be a guy to look out for. He averaged 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds back in college. He was picked #2 by Miami in the 2008 draft. And in the two seasons he played with them, he has averaged 14.3 points and 5.9 rebounds. With a new change of scenery a year after he went into rehab, Beasley is looking to have a breakout year.

DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
The Hedo Turkoglu era lasted a year, and that's the year that DeMar DeRozan was a rookie, which was only last year. Now that the debut season is out of the way, he has a starting job within reach. If he earns that starting job, he could be a Vince Carter-type player. Which is fabulous news for Raptors fans and management, as Carter was one of the best Raptors ever.

Power Forwards:

David Lee, Golden State Warriors
He has had some pretty good years in the past, but now that he is a member of the Golden State Warriors, things will be a little bit easier. He has a running mate who can score and dish in Stephen Curry, plus likeable swingmen in Brandan Wright, Dorell Wright, and Reggie Williams. In New York, it was crazy as he was asked to play center, but he should settle into a more comfortable power forward position in Golden State. Plus, he never really had a point guard who likes to score and dish the ball. So, David Lee's numbers should take quite a decent rise, and it will be harder for opposing teams to stop him.

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
He could be looked at as one of the biggest key pieces of the Minnesota Timberwolves future. With Al Jefferson out of town now, Love should see more minutes, and get more touches. Which means, more scoring, more rebounding, and those are Love's specialties.

Paul Millsap, Utah Jazz
Finally, Carlos Boozer is out of Utah. Millsap will finally start for the Utah Jazz. And, their frontcourt is looking actually a little stronger, something that has been well critized in the past. Injured center Mehmet Okur has actually looked all right on defense lately, and they picked up Al Jefferson from Minnesota, on top of Paul Millsap's new starting job. Millsap will most likely dominate, as he has in the past when Boozer has been injured, and teams will really have to keep a close eye on him.

Center

JaVale McGee, Washington Wizards
It sounded like he was impressive during Team USA tryouts and the NBA Las Vegas Summer League, which could call for a breakout season. He has always been known as a shot blocking phenom that can occasionally score and put up solid rebounding lines. He also is pretty athletic, and now he has John Wall at his side during the "developing into a successful NBA center" stage.

Hasheem Thabeet, Memphis Grizzlies
He wasn't too great of a pick at #2, and the Grizzlies will take lots of hits for that, but he still is 7-3 and has loads of promise. Former NBA defensive specialist Dikembe Mutombo reportedly worked with Thabeet, trying to improve his defensive consistency. It also looks as if his offensive game is coming along all right. In a summer league game on July 15th in Las Vegas, he posted 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 blocks. It is just summer league, but it at least shows that he can play the game of basketball, and that he can't be titled a complete bust already. He may be one to watch out for this season if given the right amount of playing time.

Marreese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers
Speights could be listed at power forward or center, but since there were too many power forwards to watch out for, I placed him here. Former All-Star Elton Brand isn't turning out as Philadelphia had hoped when they signed him to a 5 year & nearly $80 million back in 2008. Philadelphia also parted ways with Samuel Dalembert, which creates an opening for Speights to earn decent playing time. If he gets that extra run, it immediately makes him a guy to watch out for inside and out.

Also, shoutout to the Freshman Pleasant Grove Vikings team, who beat rival Timpanogas 51-0. And good luck to all PG teams, and the BYU Cougars this football season. Hopefully we can take care of Jake Locker & Washington, keep rolling all throughout the year, and sneak into a legit bowl game.

NBA Preview: Eastern Conference

Will the new look Heat bring a championship to South Beach this year?

Here are my predictions and previews for the 2010-2011 NBA season. This post is on the Eastern Conference.

1 Miami Heat
They get 3 All-Stars, and people are saying they can't get talented guys to play around them for cheap, including myself. But, they did. They grabbed key guys like Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Udonis Haslem, Carlos Arroyo, and now they look like they can pretty much annihilate any team in their path. It's scary to think about.

Lineup: Joel Anthony, Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Mario Chalmers
Key Bench Players: Carlos Arroyo, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem

New Players: C Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C Dexter Pittman, F/C Juwan Howard, F Chris Bosh, F LeBron James, F/G Mike Miller, G Eddie House, G Patrick Beverley, G Kenny Hasbrouck
Returning Players: G Dwyane Wade, G Mario Chalmers, G Carlos Arroyo, C/F Joel Anthony, F Udonis Haslem, F/G James Jones

Key Man: Erik Spoelstra
It will be up to him how he can work a system with these 3 all-stars. If it works, championship party, no doubt. If he can't rotate the players well, or win games that they're supposed to win, then he is done, and Miami will probably have to wait for the following year.

2 Orlando Magic
The Magic probably won't finish with as good a record as Miami, but they have a deeper and more comfortable team. Sure, Miami has a pretty good bench, and certainly, a great team, but the Magic have a better one. If Miami doesn't win the East, then it's Orlando.

Lineup: Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Quentin Richardson, Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson
Key Bench Players: Mickael Pietrus, J.J. Redick, Marcin Gortat, Ryan Anderson, Chris Duhon

New Players: F Daniel Orton, F Stanley Robinson, F/G Quentin Richardson, G Chris Duhon
Returning Players: C Dwight Howard, C Marcin Gortat, F Brandon Bass, F Rashard Lewis, F Ryan Anderson, F/G Mickael Pietrus, G Vince Carter, G J.J. Redick, G Jameer Nelson

Key Man: Jameer Nelson
When he's rolling, the Magic destroy. When he's not and struggles a little to Rajon Rondo in the playoffs, then his team struggles. It's in his hands. Simple as that.

3 Chicago Bulls
They were let down by missing out on Bosh, Wade, LeBron, and Johnson, but they still got some significant talent in Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, and CJ Watson. It most likely won't bring them a title, but it can get them pretty close.

Lineup: Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Ronnie Brewer, Derrick Rose
Key Bench Players: Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson, Taj Gibson, James Johnson

New Players: C Omer Asik, F/C Kurt Thomas, F Carlos Boozer, G/F Kyle Korver, G/F Ronnie Brewer, G Keith Bogans, G C.J. Watson
Returning Players: C Joakim Noah, F Luol Deng, G Derrick Rose, F Taj Gibson, F James Johnson

Key Man: Carlos Boozer
He said he would be willing to adapt to new coach Tom Thibodeau's defensive ways and learn, but it really makes you think if he will. It's all up to him. He can play D if he tries, the question is, will he try? He's shown he can, against guys like Tim Duncan. But sometimes, the desire is just not there. We'll have to see if he really is willing, and if so, the Bulls could be driving down championship lane for the first time since you-know-who was printing out championships in Chicago.

4 Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks have pretty much no financial flexibility, with Joe Johnson's killer contract counting on the books, so the Hawks' roster is virtually the same as last year, with decent rookie pickups in Jordan Crawford and Tibor Pleiss (who probably won't play in the NBA for a while). So, basically, not much will change this season for the Hawks except for less play time for Mike Bibby and more for Jeff Teague.

Lineup: Al Horford, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby
Key Bench Players: Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, Zaza Pachulia, Jordan Crawford

New Players: F Pape Sy, G Jordan Crawford, F/C Josh Powell
Returning Players: C Al Horford, C Zaza Pachulia, F Josh Smith, F Marvin Williams, G Joe Johnson, G Jamal Crawford, G Maurice Evans, G Jeff Teague, G Mike Bibby

Key Man: Joe Johnson
He got a huge contract, and whether he can live up to that contract makes him the key guy. If he can step up his game big, and boost up his leadership to bring the Hawks deep into the playoffs, Atlanta management will be rewarded for their salary killing risk. If not, then they basically will decline as Johnson gets older, Josh Smith and Al Horford will want out, and they will be starting from scratch again. Who is in this situation right now? The Hornets. Think about it. Peja Stojakovic has been eating their cap space for years, and he is nothing more than a sharpshooting role player. They basically have no financial flexibility, which means, they aren't going anywhere except down. Their young rising stars will want new players, or they'll beg their way out. The Hawks are heading in that direction. It will be up to Johnson if he can counter this or not.

5 Boston Celtics
It's unfortunate for the Celtics that they'll be Kendrick Perkins-less for most of the season, and that Rasheed Wallace is in probable retiring mode, pretty much killing their frontcourt. It's fortunate that they could pick up Jermaine O'Neal, though, which will help in patching up that gap, but it's going to be a little harder in the frontcourt without Perkins. However, they still will (of course) find their way into the playoffs, but probably not as high a seed as they would expect.

Lineup: Jermaine O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo
Key Bench Players: Nate Robinson, Glen Davis, Avery Bradley, Shaquille O'Neal, Von Wafer, Kendrick Perkins (when he heals from his injury)

New Players: C Jermaine O'Neal, G Avery Bradley, F Luke Harangody, C Shaquille O'Neal, G Von Wafer
Returning Players: F Glen Davis, F Kevin Garnett, F Paul Pierce, G Ray Allen, G Rajon Rondo, C Kendrick Perkins, G Nate Robinson, F-C Rasheed Wallace

Key Men: Boston Celtics coaching staff
Doc is back, but Tom Thibodeau is running the Bulls now. They replaced him with Lawrence Frank, and it will certainly be a lot tougher to run this team now that he is gone. Especially with the egos of Paul Pierce, Shaq, Garnett, Ray Allen, Rondo, and Jermaine O'Neal to deal with. If they can get those under control, the Celtics should be back to the Finals, or at least pretty close. If not, they are down here in 5th, 6th, 7th place.

6 Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks are suddenly scary deep. There will be a major logjam in the forward spots, including 6 guys who are capable of playing power forward, but if an injury occurs, they'll be ready to send someone else out there. They are going to be a tough challenge for every team in the East, and the top teams better bring their A-game, or they'll get overthrown by these guys. Fear the deer.

Lineup: Andrew Bogut, Drew Gooden, Corey Maggette, John Salmons, Brandon Jennings
Key Bench Players: Carlos Delfino, Luc Mbah a Moute, Ersan Ilyasova, Chris Douglas-Roberts

New Players: C Jerome Jordan, F/C Tiny Gallon, F Larry Sanders, F Drew Gooden, F Corey Maggette, F/G Chris Douglas-Roberts, G/F Darington Hobson, G Keyon Dooling
Returning Players: C Andrew Bogut, F Luc Mbah a Moute, F Ersan Ilyasova, F/G Carlos Delfino, G Michael Redd, G John Salmons, G Brandon Jennings

Key Man: Andrew Bogut
The Bucks corralled in a whole group of new faces, strengthening almost every spot on the roster. But, it will be up to Bogut to see how far this team can go. Sure, they have lots of other talent, but this guy can ensure them they are getting somewhere far. When he's healthy, he's deadly. But if he gets injured, the Bucks will most likely be done in the first or second round of the playoffs.

7 Washington Wizards
New Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said that the Arenas-Wall tandem in the backcourt is going to be one of the best ones in the league, and I can only agree. Wall is a spectacular fit on this roster, and Arenas is still "the man" on this team, that gets his 20+ PPG. Look for these guys to work hard and secure a long-awaited playoff spot.

Lineup: JaVale McGee, Andray Blatche, Josh Howard, Gilbert Arenas, John Wall
Key Bench Players: Yi Jianlian, Kirk Hinrich, Al Thornton, Nick Young, Trevor Booker

New Players: C Hilton Armstrong, F Yi Jianlian, F Kevin Seraphin, G/F Trevor Booker, G Kirk Hinrich, G John Wall
Returning Players: C JaVale McGee, F/C Andray Blatche, F Al Thornton, F Josh Howard, G Nick Young, G Gilbert Arenas

Key Man: Gilbert Arenas
It looks like they probably will be keeping Arenas this season, which is a sentence I wanted to hear. If he can play effectively at the 2-guard spot with John Wall running the point, and if their big men get the job done on both sides, the team will be very good and more elite teams like Orlando and Miami will have to watch out for them. If not, yeah, you know.

8 New York Knicks
Surprising that I put them here, but you have to take a look at the rest of the Eastern Conference. Charlotte? New Jersey? Toronto? The Knicks, with their new acquisitions, look more talented than pretty much all of those teams. Scratch them off if Charlotte makes a solid run, which they are capable of doing.

Lineup: Amare Stoudemire, Anthony Randolph, Danilo Gallinari, Toney Douglas, Raymond Felton
Key Bench Players: Wilson Chandler, Bill Walker, Kelenna Azubuike, Ronny Turiaf, Roger Mason

New Players: C Ronny Turiaf, F/C Amare Stoudemire, F Anthony Randolph, F Landry Fields, G Raymond Felton, G Kelenna Azubuike, G Andy Rautins, G Roger Mason
Returning Players: F/G Wilson Chandler, G/F Bill Walker, G Toney Douglas, F Danilo Gallinari, C Eddy Curry

Key Man: Amare Stoudemire
He's not just here to bring his game, he's also here to recruit some more stars to play with him and make the Knicks a legit team. The names that have been mentioned to play with him have been pretty legit, so you'd have to think Carmelo Anthony with Tony Parker or Chris Paul set up with Amare would be able to help to bring New York to the brink of a championship, if not, one. So it's up to Amare if he can reel these guys in, plus do his share on the court.

9 Charlotte Bobcats
They could beat out the Knicks for the final playoff spot when it comes time, but for now I see Amare and the new-look Knicks beating them out.

Lineup: Nazr Mohammed, Tyrus Thomas, Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston
Key Bench Players: D.J. Augustin, Boris Diaw, Erick Dampier, Gerald Henderson

New Players: C Erick Dampier, F Eduardo Najera, G/F Matt Carroll, G Shaun Livingston
Returning Players: C Nazr Mohammed, C DeSagana Diop, F Tyrus Thomas, F Boris Diaw, F Gerald Wallace, G/F Stephen Jackson, G Gerald Henderson, G D.J. Augustin, G Larry Hughes

Key Men: Shaun Livingston and D.J. Augustin
This pair of young point guards better get set to receive a whole lot of whipping from coach Larry Brown, as it is apparent in the past that he doesn't get along too well with his point guards. Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Raymond Felton... it's no secret Brown is hard on his point guards, and if they can handle it, the Bobcats will actually be pretty good. The rest of the team is actually filled out pretty well with guys like Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson, Tyrus Thomas, and Boris Diaw, it will be up to these point guards to see if Charlotte can rough it with the big boys back East.

10 Toronto Raptors
Ed Davis is a pretty good guy to step into Chris Bosh's old role, but obviously he won't patch up all the holes. When Hedo Turkoglu was recently traded out of Toronto, he said there is something wrong with Toronto management, and no one wants to play there anymore. Makes you wonder what's going on, but on the basketball side it's not looking so great.

Lineup: Andrea Bargnani, Ed Davis, DeMar DeRozan, Leandro Barbosa, Jose Caledron
Key Bench Players: Jarrett Jack, Sonny Weems, Amir Johnson, Marco Belinelli

New Players: C David Andersen, F Ed Davis, F Linas Kleiza, F Julian Wright, G Leandro Barbosa
Returning Players: C Andrea Bargnani, F/G DeMar DeRozan, G Jose Caledron, G Jarrett Jack, G Sonny Weems, F Amir Johnson, G Marco Belinelli, G Marcus Banks, F Reggie Evans

Key Man: Andrea Bargnani
He has been decent, but it really makes you think if he was worth the Raptors #1 pick back in '06 with other big guys like LaMarcus Aldridge and Tyrus Thomas possible candidates. Even a smaller guy like Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, or Rajon Rondo could have helped out the Raptors and Chris Bosh than Bargnani have. He still is talented, don't get me wrong, but he isn't that great of a fit on this team. If he can continue to boost his "center skills" like rebounding, shot blocking, inside scoring, and clogging the lane, then the Raptors will have their much wanted strong frontcourt with Ed Davis and Linas Kleiza now in the mix.

11 Philadelphia 76ers
Evan Turner didn't do as well as everyone thought he would in the Las Vegas Summer League this year, which is kind of a downer for a team trying to push their way back up into the playoffs. However, Doug Collins did say this about him after being asked if he was concerned about his performance:
"He was part of a group of guys who expected to go high in the draft and were told to stay away from contact drills and avoid getting hurt until after it was over. I'm guessing it was probably 90 days from Evan's last game at Ohio State to the league in Orlando. But those 8 days showed him what kind of condition he has to be in to compete [in the NBA]. I don't want him to be frustrated, but if he was, that could be a good thing because it was a great growth experience." (Philadelphia Daily News)

Lineup: Elton Brand, Thaddeus Young, Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, Jrue Holiday
Key Bench Players: Marreese Speights, Louis Williams, Andres Nocioni, Spencer Hawes

New Players: G/F Evan Turner, F Andres Nocioni, C Spencer Hawes, C/F Tony Battie
Returning Players: F/C Elton Brand, F Thaddeus Young, F/G Andre Iguodala, G Jrue Holiday, G Louis Williams, F/C Marreese Speights, G Jodie Meeks, F/C Jason Smith, G/F Jason Kapono

Key Man: Jrue Holiday
He is the point guard of the future here in Philly, and if they want to see any type of playoff action, they need him to really acclaim his role and bring it every single night. The Sixers have a decent team, but the point guard spot has obviously lacked since Allen Iverson was ripping it up with them back in his 25-30 PPG days. If he can take a big step forward with his likely new role, then it's all smiles in the Philadelphia front office.

12 Cleveland Cavaliers

Lineup: Anderson Varejao, J.J. Hickson, Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker, Mo Williams
Key Bench Players: Leon Powe, Daniel Gibson, Jamario Moon

New Players: C Ryan Hollins, F/C Samardo Samuels, F Christian Eyenga, F/G Joey Graham, G Ramon Sessions
Returning Players: C/F Anderson Varejao, F/G Jamario Moon, F/C J.J. Hickson, F Antawn Jamsion, F Leon Powe, G Mo Williams, G Anthony Parker, G Daniel Gibson

Key Man: J.J. Hickson
You could put Dan Gilbert here, but putting him here for saying he would win a championship before LeBron and the Heat do is just ridiculous. Minus key big men Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Shaquille O'Neal, and LeBron of course, won't move them anywhere except backwards. J.J. Hickson is probably the man that can really bring hope to Cleveland, as he has looked pretty good as of late, and could elevate them as the years go on. Well, Dan Gilbert also has a role in this, putting good guys to play around him. It's rebuilding time in Northeast Ohio.

13 Detroit Pistons
I'm not sure what to think about the Tracy McGrady signing that happened not too long ago. He was all right in New York last year, but definitely not the same player that lead the league in scoring in '03 and '04. He's been working out in Chicago apparently, which is an good sign, problem is, he won't accept that he would better fit a team now as a role player than the star he thinks he still is. The Pistons won't make it to the postseason, but they have promising young players such as #7 pick Greg Monroe, 6-11 forward/guard Austin Daye, and point guard Will Bynum that can get them there in a few years.

Lineup: Ben Wallace, Greg Monroe, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Gordon, Will Bynum
Key Bench Players: Rodney Stuckey, Jonas Jerebko, Terrico White

New Players: F/C Greg Monroe, G/F Tracy McGrady, G Terrico White,
Returning Players: C Ben Wallace, F Tayshaun Prince, G Ben Gordon, G Will Bynum, G Rodney Stuckey, F Jonas Jerebko, F Austin Daye, F-C Chris Wilcox, F DaJuan Summers

Key Men: Greg Monroe, Will Bynum, Austin Daye
This group of players is essentially the future face of this team. They just need to keep developing and the Pistons will continue to roll during this rebuilding period.

14 New Jersey Nets
The Nets scored big in the draft this year, netting raw power forward Derrick Favors, and ready-to-contribute forward Damion James. They didn't get let down too hard in the free agent pool, either, after missing out on LeBron James, Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, etc. They still managed to pick up three point specialist Anthony Morrow, athletic forward Travis Outlaw, and a good backup point guard to Devin Harris in Jordan Farmar. It won't get them far right now, but their young guys will develop into studs, and they'll keep adding more and more talent every offseason, which puts them in a good position in 3-5 years. Waiting is an important part of rebuilding.

Lineup: Brook Lopez, Derrick Favors, Anthony Morrow, Courtney Lee, Devin Harris
Key Bench Players: Travis Outlaw, Damion James, Jordan Farmar, Terrence Williams, Troy Murphy

New Players: C Johan Petro, F/C Derrick Favors, F/C Troy Murphy, F Sean May, F Travis Outlaw, F Damion James, F/G Anthony Morrow, G Quinton Ross, G Jordan Farmar
Returning Players: C Brook Lopez, F Kris Humphries, G/F Terrence Williams, G Courtney Lee, G Devin Harris

Key Man: Mikhail Prokorov
He said they would be in the Finals in five years, and if he wants the Nets fans to still like him in five years, he's going to have to keep working that telephone and his staff to build up that kind of a team. It's actually possible, despite missing out on the SuperTalent in this year's free agency and having to settle for Travis Outlaw, Jordan Farmar, and Anthony Morrow. Brook Lopez is developing into what looks like a deadly-good NBA center, Derrick Favors has loads of potential, and Terrence Williams, Courtney Lee, Jordan Farmar, and Anthony Morrow are all still relatively young and still have a lot to prove. If they can get this potential gear to keep spinning, it will develop these guys and turn the team into the Finals team Prokorov was talking about. He's on the spot, big time.

15 Indiana Pacers
It was a little disappointing to see the Pacers pick Paul George with their lottery pick this year. He is a good player, but he doesn't fit the team's needs. He just added to the logjam at the small forward/shooting guard spots. It would have been much smarter to draft a serviceable point guard, but I guess their patience paid off as about a month later they grabbed exciting young PG Darren Collison in a trade. The future is actually looking pretty bright now. But this season is one to mesh in with the new team, and to grow up. Remember, the Pacers still have a bunch of years until it's playoff time.

Lineup: Roy Hibbert, Danny Granger, Paul George, Brandon Rush, Darren Collison
Key Bench Players: Mike Dunleavy, Solo Jones, Dahntay Jones, James Posey

New Players: F Paul George, F/G James Posey G Lance Stephenson, G Darren Collison
Returning Players: C Roy Hibbert, C Jeff Foster, F/C Solo Jones, F Josh McRoberts, F Tyler Hansbrough, F Danny Granger, F/G Mike Dunleavy, F/G Dahntay Jones, G Brandon Rush, G A.J. Price

Key Man: Roy Hibbert
He is starting to grow, and he met with former NBA great Hakeem Olajuwon and is improving on not just his physical basketball game, but also his mental game, which is a vital piece of a good NBA center. Footwork, Basketball IQ, defense, knowing where to be at the right time, the center is counted on for lots of big things. If he continues to develop and grow, the Pacers will slowly but surely battle their way back up hill.

NBA Preview: Western Conference

Can the Lakers complete a successful 3-peat, Coach Phil Jackson's fourth in his career?

Here are my predictions and previews for the 2010-2011 NBA season. This post is on the Western Conference.

1 Los Angeles Lakers
They are still the Defending Champs, so don't write them off. Miami is not an automatic lock with the Lakers still up and running. They replaced Josh Powell and Jordan Farmar with Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, and Theo Ratliff. Suspect another Finals run unless another strong West team gets past them, which is definitely a possibility in this tough conference.
Lineup: Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher
Key Bench Players: Lamar Odom, Matt Barnes, Shannon Brown, Steve Blake

New Players: C Theo Ratliff, F Derrick Caracter, F Devin Ebanks, G/F Matt Barnes, G Steve Blake
Returning Players: C Andrew Bynum, C D.J. Mbenga, F/C Pau Gasol, F Lamar Odom, F Ron Artest, F Luke Walton, G Sasha Vujacic, G Shannon Brown, G Kobe Bryant, G Derek Fisher

Key Man: Kobe Bryant
He has struggled a little with injuries as of late, and it makes you wonder if he is super banged-up from playing with them throughout the whole postseason. They need him to heal a little bit, or one day he will go down and not come up for a long time. He is obviously the star of this team, and they need him to win more titles.

2 Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder gave the Lakers quite a scare in the first round of the playoffs, which has me believing they can obtain this high a seeding when it comes playoff time. They keep getting better and better, with virtually the same team. They could even upset the Lakers or another big name team for the Western Conference Championship.

Lineup: Nenad Krstic, Jeff Green, Kevin Durant, Thabo Sefolosha, Russell Westbrook
Key bench Players: Serge Ibaka, James Harden, Eric Maynor, Nick Collison

New Players: C Cole Aldrich, G Daquean Cook, G Morris Peterson, G Royal Ivey
Returning Players: C Nenad Krstic, C B.J. Mullens, C/F Serge Ibaka, F/C Nick Collison, F Jeff Green, F D.J. White, F Kevin Durant, G Thabo Sefolosha, G James Harden, G Russell Westbrook, G Eric Maynor

Key Man: GM Sam Presti
He has brought this young talented team far in a short amount of time. But soon, he will have to figure out long term contracts for Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook, as he has for Kevin Durant, to keep this team together and rolling.

3 Dallas Mavericks
These guys will be a deep, deep, tough team to play. If the strong lineup fails, they have a whole second unit who can still kill the opponent. They can just keep going and going and going. And when their older guys retire, they already have some young talented replacements for some of them in Roddy Beaubois and Dominique Jones. They even grabbed Team USA starting center Tyson Chandler for Eduardo Najera, Matt Carroll, and Erick Dampier. Benifits of good management, and lots of money (Mark Cuban).

Lineup: Brendan Haywood, Dirk Nowitzki, Caron Butler, Roddy Beaubois, Jason Kidd
Key Bench Players: Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler

New Players: C Tyson Chandler, C Alexis Ajinca, C Ian Mahinmi, G Dominique Jones
Returning Players: C Brendan Haywood, F Dirk Nowitzki, F Tim Thomas, F Shawn Marion, F/G Caron Butler, G DeShawn Stevenson, G Roddy Beaubois, G Jason Terry, G Jason Kidd, G J.J. Barea

Key Man: Tyson Chandler
He has looked healthy and like the 07-08 Tyson Chandler while he has played for Team USA, which is a fantastic sign for the Mavericks. If he can stay healthy throughout the season, then the Mavs are serious contenders and they can throw some big defensive bodies at the back-to-back champion Los Angeles Lakers.

4 Utah Jazz
I'm even surprised that I put them this high, but I just couldn't stay away from the fact that Al Jefferson is a flat out beast. The man's beautiful post game will be complimented by Deron Williams' advanced point guard skills here in Utah, and he will contribute even more points and boards due to that. Throw in Raja Bell, more minutes for Paul Millsap, Andrei Kirilenko in his contract year, and you have a tough squad hunting deep in the playoffs.

Lineup: Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Andrei Kirilenko, Raja Bell, Deron Williams
Key Bench Players: Mehmet Okur, Ronnie Price, C.J. Miles, Kyrylo Fesenko

New Players: C/F Al Jefferson, F Gordon Hayward, F Jeremy Evans, G Raja Bell
Returning Players: C Mehmet Okur, C Kyrylo Fesenko, F Paul Millsap, F Andrei Kirilenko, F/G C.J. Miles, G/F Othyus Jeffers, G Sundiata Gaines, G Deron Williams, G Ronnie Price

Key Man: Greg Miller
He has brought in Al Jefferson and Raja Bell, can he continue to spend money to keep Deron Williams around?

5 Denver Nuggets
They picked up a little talent and frontcourt strengtening in Al Harrington and Shelden Williams, but not much else was done this offseason. Expect them to finish similarly to last year and, if Coach George Karl is healthy, make a solid playoff run. These guys have a season to prove to Carmelo it's where he wants to be, if not, he will make a LeBron-type move and bolt for a team with a load of money to spend.

Lineup: Nené, Al Harrington, Carmelo Anthony, Arron Afflalo, Chauncey Billups.
Key Bench Players: J.R. Smith, Chris Andersen, Kenyon Martin, Ty Lawson

New Players: F/C Shelden Williams, F Al Harrington
Returning Players: C Nene, C Brian Butch, C/F Chris Andersen, F Kenyon Martin, F Renaldo Balkman, F Carmelo Anthony, G Coby Karl, G J.R. Smith, G Arron Afflalo, G Anthony Carter, G Chauncey Billups, G Ty Lawson

Key Man: George Karl
They need him healthy and coaching, he holds the roof down and helps the Nuggets to compete at a very high level.

6 Portland Trail Blazers
Portland still is a very young team, do not forget. They haven't been astounding the last couple of years, but they've managed to make the playoffs. Injuries really strike this team like no other, but management still knows how to work around that and make the Blazers an elite team. They probably will suffer a few more injuries this year, which will limit how far they can go, but they still will be able to make their way into the playoffs.

Lineup: Marcus Camby, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, Brandon Roy, Andre Miller
Key Bench Players: Wesley Matthews, Greg Oden, Joel Przybilla, Jerryd Bayless, Rudy Fernandez

New Players: F Luke Babbitt, F/G Wesley Matthews, G Elliot Williams
Returning Players: C Marcus Camby, C Greg Oden, C Joel Przybilla, F/C Jeff Pendergraph, F Dante Cunningham, F LaMarcus Aldridge, F Nicolas Batum, G Brandon Roy, G Rudy Fernandez, G Andre Miller, G Jerryd Bayless, G Patrick Mills

Key Men: Jerryd Bayless and Greg Oden
They need these two guys to start playing up to the potential the Blazers drafted them for, or it's going to be out the door pretty soon. Bayless should eventually pass up Andre Miller as the starting point guard, he just needs more playing time. So, it's not really his fault. But for Oden, he just needs to be healthy. He was playing pretty well back in December of '09 before he was injured. The game before he succumed was against Houston, in which he posted 13 points, 20 rebounds, and 4 blocks. His averages were 11.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, and 2.3 BPG. So, he can play, he just needs health on his side.

7 San Antonio Spurs
Even with their top guys aging, they still are a great team. And they just keep adding more and more talent and more steals. Like, DeJuan Blair last year in the draft, James Anderson this year, and getting Brazilian big man Tiago Splitter for less money than the T-Wolves got Darko Milicic for. If they keep the same scouting staff, and staff overall, these guys will keep rolling decade after decade. Which is something not many people want to hear.

Lineup: Tim Duncan, DeJuan Blair, Richard Jefferson, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker
Key Bench Players: Tiago Splitter, George Hill, Antonio McDyess

New Players: F/C Tiago Splitter, F/C Ryan Richards G James Anderson, G Gary Neal
Returning Players: C/F Tim Duncan, F/C DeJuan Blair, F Matt Bonner, F Antonio McDyess, F Richard Jefferson, G Manu Ginobili, G Curtis Jerrells, G Alonzo Gee, G Garrett Temple, G George Hill, G Tony Parker

Key Man: George Hill
He's got to get ready if Tony Parker is ready to bolt San Antonio soon. If he can continue to thrive in Parker's absense like he has in the past, then the Spurs will be just fine. He just needs to live up to that and really be prepared because Parker is likely to leave.

8 Houston Rockets
The Rockets will probably get into the playoffs whether Yao is healthy or not, due to their scrappy, but talented team. They just added to that great supporting cast with big pickups in Patrick Patterson, Brad Miller, and Courtney Lee. They'll be a tough team to compete with come playoff time. Remember, Portland, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City all won 50 games last season, and they held the 6, 7, and 8 seeds, respectively.

Lineup: Yao Ming, Luis Scola, Shane Battier, Kevin Martin, Aaron Brooks
Key Bench Players: Courtney Lee, Kyle Lowry, Brad Miller, Jared Jeffries, Patrick Patterson, Chase Budinger

New Players: C Brad Miller, F Patrick Patterson, G Courtney Lee
Returning Players: C Yao Ming, C/F Jordan Hill, F/C Chuck Hayes, F Luis Scola, F Jared Jeffries, F Chase Budinger, F Shane Battier, F/G Jermaine Taylor, G Kevin Martin, G Mike Harris, G Aaron Brooks, G Kyle Lowry

Key Man: Yao Ming
Sure, they can still make the playoffs without Yao, but they are a whole better team with him. They need him healthy and functioning to shove their way deep in the playoffs.

9 Phoenix Suns
They need more power and size now that Amare is gone, or they should just start to rebuild. Franchise point guard Steve Nash and veteran forward Grant Hill are getting older, and although they still have some good youth, they could also lose them if they seek to be on a winning team in a couple of years.

Lineup: Channing Frye, Hedo Turkoglu, Grant Hill, Jason Richardson, Steve Nash
Key Bench Players: Goran Dragic, Hakim Warrick, Josh Childress, Robin Lopez

New Players: C/F Gani Lawal, F Hedo Turkoglu, F Hakim Warrick, G/F Josh Childress, G Matt Janning
Returning Players: C Channing Frye, C Robin Lopez, F Earl Clark, F Jared Dudley, F Grant Hill, G Jason Richardson, G Goran Dragic, G Steve Nash

Key Man: Hedo Turkoglu
If he can help here in Phoenix and play like he did back in Orlando two seasons ago, then Phoenix should do pretty well this year. They probably won't make it to the West Finals again for a while, but if Hedo can take some of the ballhandling load off of Steve Nash, plus bring some steady offense and defense, then Phoenix could make the playoffs.

10 Memphis Grizzlies
They could make the playoffs, problem is, the West is too tough. They proved they can compete with the big boys last season, with a pretty strong Marc Gasol-Zach Randolph frontcourt combination with Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo on the wing. They probably need an established point guard, and shot-blocking center Hasheem Thabeet to develop to make a spot for themselves in the playoffs. Even though they probably won't be making the playoffs this year, it will still be a little fun to watch them, so make sure you tune in if your home team is playing them.

Lineup: Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, Mike Conley
Key Bench Players: Tony Allen, Xavier Henry, Sam Young, Darrell Arthur

New Players: G Xavier Henry, G Tony Allen, G Greivis Vasquez
Returning Players: C Marc Gasol, C Hasheem Thabeet, C Hamed Haddadi, F Zach Randolph, F Darrell Arthur, F DeMarre Carroll, F Rudy Gay, F/G Sam Young, G O.J. Mayo, G Lester Hudson, G Mike Conley

Key Man: Mike Conley
They need him to be the man who can construct and run this team successfully, with his passing and court vision abilities. And according to hoopshype.com, he also might need a boost in confidence. He was chosen #4 in the 2007 NBA draft, but hasn't done much to justify that. He needs to have a great season if he hopes Memphis will keep him after his contract expires in the offseason of 2012.

11 LA Clippers
The Clippers are just the Clippers. It's hard to tell if they will be a good team, even with all the good players on their roster. Injuries and apparent "bad luck" have haunted this team in the past and they've never managed to make a decent playoff run. They have a great lineup of Chris Kaman, Blake Griffin, Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Gordon, and Baron Davis, along with decent bench players such as former lottery pick Randy Foye, Craig "Rhino" Smith, Ryan Gomes, and Rasual Butler. But, every year, it just seems to fall apart. They have a good team, but things happen and their season falls apart. However, if they prove me and almost everyone else wrong, then maybe it will be the start of something new and the Clippers can be another big money California team.

Lineup: Chris Kaman, Blake Griffin, Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Gordon, Baron Davis
Key Bench Players: Randy Foye, Rasual Butler, Ryan Gomes, Craig Smith

New Players: F Brian Cook, F Ryan Gomes, F Al-Farouq Aminu, G Eric Bledsoe, G Willie Warren, G Randy Foye
Returning Players: C Chris Kaman, C DeAndre Jordan, F/C Craig Smith, F Blake Griffin, F/G Rasual Butler, G Eric Gordon, G Baron Davis

Key Men: Everyone
They need everyone (players, coaches, etc.) healthy for a respectable amount of time so they can put together an OK playoff run. One injury turns into two, then three, and then soon you find you have a team loaded with D-League players while your stars are sitting in street clothes on the sidelines. (See: Golden State Warriors 09-10 season)

12 Sacramento Kings
The Kings look...kind of...good. They made potential franchise-changing draft picks the past three drafts, headlined by guard Tyreke Evans and big man DeMarcus Cousins. Their other picks? Donte Greene and Jason Thompson in '08, Evans and Omri Casspi in '09, and Cousins and shot-blocking maniac Hassan Whiteside this year. They also made a trade for defensive specialist center Samuel Dalembert, signed swingman Antoine Wright, and also snatched hard-working forward Carl Landry in a trade with Houston at the trade deadline back in February. So, obviously this team is rising, and should be a top-tier team in years to come. For now, it's time to sit back and watch the youth mesh and grow up together.

Lineup: Samuel Dalembert, DeMarcus Cousins, Omri Casspi, Donte Greene, Tyreke Evans
Key Bench Players: Beno Udrih, Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, Francisco Garcia

New Players: C Hassan Whiteside, C Samuel Dalembert, F/C DeMarcus Cousins, F Darnell Jackson, G/F Antoine Wright
Returning Players: F/C Jason Thompson, F Carl Landry, F Dominic McGuire, F Omri Casspi, G/F Francisco Garcia, G/F Donte Greene, G Tyreke Evans, G Beno Udrih

Key Man: DeMarcus Cousins
This is certainly a long-term thing, but Cousins is also ready to contribute at the NBA level right now. They need to keep him in top shape so he can handle the whole 82-game season, and they need him to push and power his way in the post as he has in his past if they really want the Kings to be back as a Western Powerhouse.

13 New Orleans Hornets
The Hornets are a team that needs to get back to the basics. Rebuilding time. Peja Stojakovic's massive contract is set to expire after this season. The problem standing in their way, or should I say problems is that they have a whole load of other money to pay to big man Emeka Okafor, newly-acquired swingman Trevor Ariza, All-Star forward David West, and franchise point guard Chris Paul for the next 2-4 seasons. They could wait two years for West's contract to be cleaned off, and attempt to trade Okafor for a bunch of expiring contracts, or they can sit and wait for Chris Paul to eventually leave, Ariza to become disgruntled, and the team to fall into a management coma. The four stars account for 145,161,238 million dollars over the next four years, that's about 90% of the money they will give to their players. Something needs to be done.

Lineup: Emeka Okafor, David West, Trevor Ariza, Marcus Thornton, Chris Paul
Key Bench Players: Peja Stojakovic, Craig Brackins, Quincy Pondexter, Marco Belinelli

New Players: F Craig Brackins, F/G Trevor Ariza, F/G Quincy Pondexter, G Marco Belinelli
Returning Players: C Emeka Okafor, C Aaron Gray, F Ike Diogu, F David West, F Darius Songaila, F/G Peja Stojakovic, G Marcus Thornton, G Chris Paul

14 Golden State Warriors
Step number 1, fire Don Nelson. It is seeming to drag out on and on and on. He doesn't play his young guys often, feuds between him and his players have been apparent due to the lack of rotating them in the lineup, and it's probably time for him to retire, as he now holds the record for most coaching wins ever and he is 71 years old. They need a fresh new coach who can run this young squad, one highlighted with the likes of David Lee, Stephen Curry, and rookie Epke Udoh (who is injured for a moderate sized chunk of the season). Then, the franchise will start going back uphill.

Lineup: Andris Biedrins, David Lee, Dorell Wright, Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry
Key Bench Players: Brandan Wright, Epke Udoh (injury), Reggie Williams

New Players: C Dan Gadzuric, F/C Epke Udoh, F/C David Lee, F/G Dorell Wright, G Charlie Bell, G Jeremy Lin, G Jannero Pargo
Returning Players: C Andris Biedrins, C Chris Hunter, F Brandan Wright, F Reggie Williams, F Devean George, G Monta Ellis, G Stephen Curry
Key Man: Epke Udoh
They need him to get healthy so they can develop him and turn him into the future starting center. Starting center Andris Biedrins struggled a little bit last season, and although they could wait for him to regain his form, it would also be smart to get Udoh ready and healthy to prepare for the future. Just imagine, in 5 years when Stephen Curry is lighting up scoreboards all around the country with his insane shooting stroke, David Lee is racking up double-double after double-double, and Udoh is crushing people with his intensity and athleticism offensively and defensively.

15 Minnesota Timberwolves
No one really knows what the heck David Kahn is up to. He wants talented Spainard point guard Ricky Rubio to come from his Spainard team to play in Minnesota in a few years, but he already has two point guards locked in for a while in Luke Ridnour and Johnny Flynn. They also signed another point guard, Ramon Sessions, to a deal last year, but luckily they were able to trade his contract to Cleveland just recently. He has placed talented players on the roster, but there is a logjam at many of the positions, like both forward positions, the power forward/center big man place, and, as I have said, the point guard spot. I don't think much will happen for this team from now till the future except for sitting at the bottom of the barrell for a while. Kahn needs to put this team in a direction.

Lineup: Darko Milicic, Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, Corey Brewer, Johnny Flynn
Key Bench Players: Luke Ridnour, Martell Webster, Wesley Johnson, Anthony Tolliver, Nikola Pekovic

New Players: C Kosta Koufos, C Greg Stiemsma, F/C Anthony Tolliver, F/C Nikola Pekovic, F Michael Beasley, F Lazar Hayward, F Wesley Johnson, F/G Martell Webster, G Luke Ridnour, G Sebastian Telfair
Returning Players: C Darko Milicic, F/C Kevin Love, G/F Corey Brewer, G Wayne Ellington, G Johnny Flynn

Key Man: Ricky Rubio
If he comes to play here next year, and he plays well with his teammates, then I guess what David Kahn was trying to prove was proved and Minnesota can start fighting their way up in the standings. If he decides not to come, or he doesn't like or doesn't want to play there, then they will just be sitting there in the rebuilding mode year after year.