Nick's Sports Blog

Post-lockout: The Rookies

2011-12-06T21:24:00.003-07:00

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

2011-06-27T14:17:00.006-06:00

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

2011-06-20T22:20:00.007-06:00

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

2011-06-04T16:40:00.004-06:00

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

2011-05-30T11:14:00.011-06:00

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

2011-01-18T21:23:00.006-07:00

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

2010-12-28T22:19:00.009-07:00

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

2010-10-06T20:15:00.000-06:00

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

2010-09-10T18:41:00.001-06:00

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

2010-08-26T16:59:00.005-06:00

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

2010-08-14T13:42:00.001-06:00

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

2010-08-14T13:39:00.000-06:00

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.

Wizards looking good long-term

2010-07-16T16:26:00.005-06:00

Yeah, there's all those people saying, "It's just summer league, no big deal", but the players there are essentially the future of the league. And it looks like the Washington Wizards will be a team to watch out for in the coming years. John Wall is reviving them. After sending off key guys like Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, and Brendan Haywood to rebuild this past season, it looked like the Wizards wouldn't be back in the playoffs for a very long time. But, their luck in the draft lottery brought them to this super-talented point guard, and a couple other key assets, and it looks like Washington can be back up and running again.

The Wizards' summer league is 3-0, with Wall leading the way. He is not just a great player himself, but he also makes his teammates better, a dimension that the Wizards have not seen with Gilbert Arenas running the point. JaVale McGee is starting to turn from project big guy to starting NBA center with Wall quarterbacking. It's easy to read the stats and say that Wall is a great player, but you can't really use those to determine how good he really is. It's like with Derrick Rose, his stats are good-looking, but without him, the Bulls really wouldn't be anywhere.

With Wall, the Wizards will be much better and much more confident. Do you see teams without an established point guard winning championships? The Spurs have Tony Parker, Boston has Rondo, LA has Derek Fisher. You need that guy who can run a team and build his teammates' confidence to bring the best out of them. The Wizards struck gold with Wall in the draft, and he can and will bring the Wizards out from the bottom to near the top, as long as he stays healthy and is surrounded with good players. He's got Gilbert and Kirk Hinrich in the backcourt, with power forwards Yi Jianlian and Andray Blatche and center McGee in the post, and has other guys like Nick Young, Trevor Booker, and Al Thornton that can be decent pieces. They probably need to add an established veteran center that can push McGee to become the best he can be, but other than that, the Wizards look pretty ready and set to make a decent playoff run this year. Watch out for them.

Draft Grades for Lottery Teams

2010-06-26T15:14:00.000-06:00

Once again, lots of teams scored big and are cashing in on their great picks, and lots of other teams are now (or should be soon) slapping themselves on the head. But, here is how I think the lottery teams did this year.

Washington Wizards
Players acquired on draft day: John Wall, Trevor Booker, Hamady N’Diaye, Kirk Hinrich
The Wizards made some cash moves on draft day, including taking Hinrich from the Bulls for basically nothing before the draft. Then, they of course drafted John Wall with the first pick, and acquired picks Trevor Booker (23), and Hamady N'Diaye (56) in a trade with Minnesota. The Wizards now have a pretty strong backcourt, plus two strong defensive pieces in Booker and N'Diaye.
Grade: A

Philadelphia 76ers
Players: Evan Turner
Well, they got who they wanted, and there is not much to say after that. He should be able to help the team, and we'll see if Andre Iguodala gets shipped out for this.
Grade: A-

New Jersey Nets
Players: Derrick Favors, Damion James
Favors should be a beast in a few years (he is pretty raw right now), and James will help right away for the Nets after playing 4 years at Texas.
Grade: A-

Minnesota Timberwolves
Players: Wesley Johnson, Lazar Hayward, Nemanja Bjelica, Paulo Prestes, Martell Webster
Johnson was a solid pick, but the Timberwolves probably could have done much better this night. Trading #16 pick Luke Babbitt and Ryan Gomes for Martell Webster could turn out to be good, but it would of probably been much smarter to keep Babbitt. He could have done what they want from Webster, plus more. With a rookie contract as well. Trevor Booker would have also been smart to keep, but they gave him up for Lazar Hayward. Paulo Prestes was a good pick, in my opinion, however. Watch some highlights of this big guy and you'll see why. They can have him stashed, and in a couple years, they can take him out and he will beast it up in the NBA.
Grade: B-

Sacramento Kings
Players: DeMarcus Cousins, Hassan Whiteside
The Kings scored on draft day, picking up two quality big men who can do them some good. This probably means trading one of their big guys like Jason Thompson to open up some playing time, but they still made great moves. Cousins will be awesome, despite the talk of maturity problems, as will Whiteside, who apparently has the same problem. The Kings' frontcourt was obviously a problem last year, but I think most of their problems there are resolved now because of their picks, plus the trade for Samuel Dalembert.
Grade: A

Golden State Warriors
Players: Epke Udoh
The drafting of Udoh means goodbye to a few current Warriors in the frontcourt. Udoh is a good pick, but not here at #6, or for the Warriors. He won't be spectacular, and would of been a better fit in Utah or Indiana. Golden State should have gone after someone such as Greg Monroe, or even someone in the Paul George/Xavier Henry neighborhood now that Corey Maggette's gone.
Grade: C-

Detroit Pistons
Players: Greg Monroe, Terrico White
Good picks for Detroit. Maybe they can get back to real Detroit basketball in a couple years. Monroe should help to fill some of that void in the frontcourt and try to revive it. White was a great pick at #36, and if the Pistons can unload Richard Hamilton's contract somewhere, it would make it even better. Good night for these guys.
Grade: A

LA Clippers
Players: Al Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe, Willie Warren
Aminu is just a good fit for LA right now. They need a small forward. They need some solid D. And they don't need another guy who is going to take a bunch of shots, as their roster is already loaded with shot-takers like Eric Gordon and Baron Davis outside, and Blake Griffin and Chris Kaman inside. Good pick there. Trading for Bledsoe was also a smart move, and he should be able to replace Steve Blake's role as he is likely headed to free-agency. Plus, he can step in and play some good ball if Baron Davis succumbs to injury. And Willie Warren (whom they got at #54) should be looked at as a steal in the future, because he looked like a potential top 10 pick just a year ago.
Grade: A

Utah Jazz
Players: Gordon Hayward, Jeremy Evans
They probably could have made better use of these picks, but Hayward actually was a decent pick. He is pretty versatile, and he can play behind C.J. Miles and Andrei Kirilenko for a little while to get comfortable in the NBA game. Once he beefs up a little bit, he could be a solid player for Utah. But the Evans pick made pretty much no sense. He played at Western Kentucky from his freshman year to his senior year, averaged 10 and almost 7 in that last year, and is 6-9 and 196 pounds. I don't think we will ever see this guy in the NBA, and the Jazz would have been better off drafting Paul Millsap's brother Elijah out of UAB.
Grade: C

Indiana Pacers
Players: Paul George, Lance Stephenson, Magnum Rolle
It was surprising to see the Pacers pick George, as they are already loaded with guys that play his position (F-G), but he should turn to be a good pick if they can clean up that area. Stephenson was a risk ego-wise, but if they can get past that, he should be great, especially at #40. Rolle is a honestly a guy I have never heard of, but I was watching some Youtube clips of him, and from what I gathered, he is an athletic big man who has pretty long arms and a decent 10-15 foot jumper. So good pick at 51 for Indiana.
Grade: B+

New Orleans Hornets
Players: Craig Brackins, Quincy Pondexter
These were good picks, just for the wrong team. I don't think the Hornets really need these guys for what they do, I think they just need them for bodies. They can't really get into free agency unless they get rid of Chris Paul, (which isn't happening) so these picks were all right.
Grade: C

Memphis Grizzlies
Players: Xavier Henry, Greivis Vasquez
Henry could turn out to be a good pick if Rudy Gay leaves, and Vasquez was just smart. It would of been nice to grab a power forward or a taller/bigger small forward, but these two picks should serve the Grizzlies well. Vasquez should be able to successfully take some of Mike Conley's playing time, and Henry can help out on the wing.
Grade: B+

Toronto Raptors
Players: Ed Davis, Solomon Alabi
With the likely departure of Chris Bosh this offseason, picking Davis was smart. He is no Chris Bosh, but he should be able to help and fill that void. Alabi at #50 was way good, considering he was seen in many mock drafts as a top-20 guy. Both should help and build up the somewhat weak frontcourt, even with Bosh gone.
Grade: B+

Houston Rockets
Players: Patrick Patterson
Good pick here, though they don't really need another power forward. But, it will still turn out to be good. Jordan Hill is an option at center, though, as is Chuck Hayes, especially with Yao Ming out. So smart picking by Houston, and these guys should be back up in the playoffs pretty soon.
Grade: A-

NBA Finals Predictions

2010-06-01T18:57:00.000-06:00

Well, that was unexpected. The Celtics made their way back into the Finals.........Wait what? Yeah, the Boston Celtics made their way into the NBA Finals.

Earlier, I was saying that Boston could only barely squeeze past the first round, before getting demolished by Cleveland. But, it turned out to be nothing like that.

They beat Miami in 5, Cleveland in 6, and just about swept Orlando, before they won the next two games, but still beat them in 6.

Dwyane Wade was going ballistic statistically for the Heat (33.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.8 APG, 56% FG), as was LeBron with Cleveland (26.8 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 7.2 APG, 2.2 SPG). But the one guy that carried Boston the whole way here, was none other than Rajon Rondo. The stats don't say nearly as much as he has done. Rondo has been the shining spot for this aging team.

However, they sure do not suck without Rondo. They have a fantastic team. They knocked LeBron off of his throne, and put Dwight Howard and Vince Carter into storage until next season. How can I still say that this team is too old to go back to the Finals? They made it.

All right, well, here are my predictions for these Finals.

Key Matchups:

Ron Artest-Paul Pierce
With Artest now on his team, Kobe no longer has the tough task to guard the opposite team's #1 scorer and he gets to focus on his offensive game a little bit more. Pierce will have a tougher time scoring this series with Artest all up in his grill. Artest will be a key factor in helping the Lakers show if they are tough enough to stop Boston and win another title. Pierce will still be finding his ways to score, however, and he will also be a key factor to show if his team is hungry enough for another title.

Pau Gasol-Kevin Garnett
This matchup will always be one to watch, because you have to see if Gasol can get his way with Garnett on him. And, you have to see if Garnett will be a pretty good factor offensively for the Celtics. Both will be greatly counted on this series to get their job done and bring the championship home.

Prediction: Lakers in 7

I would love to press backspace on that 7 and type in a 6, but I know that this series will be a back and forth combat. Rajon Rondo will have to be himself to bring the Celtics a title, and Kobe will have to keep putting up big numbers to bring the Lakers a title. Of course, you have the throw ins like, if Andrew Bynum will be healthy enough to play, or, how much of a difference Lamar Odom will make coming off the bench, or whatever.

Playoff Predictions: East

2010-04-16T16:29:00.008-06:00

East

1 Cleveland Cavaliers-8 Chicago Bulls
LeBron is hungry this year for a title, and he doesn't want Chicago getting in the way. He will demolish them in the first round after they barely climbed into the playoffs. Joakim Noah said he wants to "stun the world" by bringing down the Cavs, but LeBron is just too good.

Key Matchups:

LeBron James-anyone they put on him
He has already said that he is serious now, it's the playoffs, no goofing around. That means he will blaze anyone that gets in his way. Expect a spectacular performance from James in the first round, no matter who guards him.

Shaquille O'Neal-Joakim Noah
However, I'm not saying the Bulls won't put up a good fight. Noah is becoming a great defensive force, and we'll see what he can do with Shaq in the first round, if he can contain him inside or not. This will be a matchup to look out for.

Prediction: Cavaliers in 5

2 Orlando Magic-7 Charlotte Bobcats
Ooh, this looks like a pretty good series. The Bobcats are going to be a challenge for Orlando, but you have to remember, the Magic went to the Finals last year, and have added Vince Carter, Ryan Anderson, and Matt Barnes and have a clear shot at getting back to the Finals. Stephen Jackson will be tough to guard, and Gerald Wallace is always a guy you need to watch when you play Charlotte, but I think the inside presence of Dwight Howard will determine this series.

Key Matchups:

Dwight Howard-Tyson Chandler
Chandler will have to slow down Howard greatly if he wants his team to have a successful first playoff appearance. Howard is the most-dominant center in the league and won't hold anything back. I think Chandler will be able to contain him a bit, but then Howard will take over and annihilate the Bobcats' frontcourt.

Vince Carter-Stephen Jackson
Both players will score big time for their respective teams, and there won't be a ton of defense in this position. But, it will be fun to see these guys firing away, and so this will be a matchup to watch.

Prediction: Magic in 6

3 Atlanta Hawks-6 Milwaukee Bucks
This could have been arguably the best matchup this year, but unfortunately, Bucks star center Andrew Bogut went down to injury near the end of the season. However, I still think the Bucks will be a legitimite competitor for Atlanta.

Key Matchups:

Joe Johnson/Jamal Crawford-John Salmons
Again, lots of scoring here, will be a fun matchup to watch. But, the scoring duo of Johnson and Crawford will be too much for Milwaukee, and Atlanta will advance.

Prediction: Hawks in 6

4 Boston Celtics-5 Miami Heat
The Celtics better be ready for this series. They've said before that come playoff time, they flip the switch and are ready to compete. If they don't bring their game, this is going to be a long series. Dwyane Wade will bury them if they don't bring it all.

Key Matchups:

Ray Allen-Dwyane Wade
Both will be go-to-guys when their teams need them, and this is looking like it will be a pretty lengthy series. So, these guys will be really fun to watch around crunch time.

Prediction: Celtics in 7
Rajon Rondo is in this series, and if Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett can bring some decent game, then the Celtics can thrive off of him. If the veterans bring hardly any game at all, they cannot just rely on Rondo the whole time and expect to win the series. If this happens, Miami gets it in 7. But I'm going with Boston.

And... the rest of the Eastern Conference playoff:
1 Cavs-4 Celtics (Cavs in 5)
2 Magic-3 Hawks (Magic in 6)

1 Cavs-2 Magic (Cavs in 7)

Then: the Finals.

1 Cavs vs. 1 Lakers
The matchup that the league has been desperate for since a disappointing dropout by the Cavs in the playoffs last year, seems to be a great possibility. We'll see if Shaq can do what he needs to inside to take care of Bynum and Gasol, and if Artest can hold LeBron from exploding against his team. I was going to say that the Cavs are too hungry this season for the Lakers to win, but I am now reconsidering. The Lakers still are the best team in the league, and are great with and without Kobe. If the Cavs were without LeBron, they would win about 15-20 less games. If Kobe can tone it down a bit and take less shots than he usually does, the Lakers will win it all for the second straight year. I think he can do this.
(Lakers in 7)

Playoff Predictions: West

2010-04-16T16:28:00.000-06:00

Now that the matchups are all set up, I would like to give my predictions for this year's NBA playoffs.

West

1 Los Angeles Lakers- 8 Oklahoma City Thunder

As a Lakers fan, this kind of sounds weird to say but, I would actually like to see the Thunder topple LA. I know, it sounds like I'm going against the Lakers or something, but I really like Oklahoma City's team. And when I saw this little "movement" back in July, I didn't expect Oklahoma City to get to the playoffs this year, but they did. I would love for them to stun the Lakers, but if not, I see the Lakers going back to the Finals.

Key Matchups:

Ron Artest/Lamar Odom-Kevin Durant
Obviously, the biggest problem for LA is going to be Durant. He locked up the scoring title and has become one of the best players in the league. If Artest and Odom can hold him a little bit and get the Lakers where they need to be, this will be a quick first round win. But, if he is too much to contain, which has been the case virtually all season, then it is going to come down to the wire.

Russell Westbrook-Laker guards
Westbrook will also be a matchup problem.

Lakers frontcourt-Thunder frontcourt
The biggest problem for Oklahoma City is: the Lakers huge frontcourt. They have to contain Gasol, Odom, and Andrew Bynum. They are made up of Nenad Krstic, who's not their best defender, along with decent defensive forward Nick Collison, and young shot blocking maniac Serge Ibaka. I think the Thunder will probably struggle with the frontcourt, and this is what will make them fall out of the first round. Go Lakers.

Prediction: Lakers in 6

2 Dallas Mavericks-7 San Antonio Spurs
Earlier in the season, I didn't even think the Spurs would make the playoffs. Division rivals like the Hornets, Rockets, and Grizzlies were all pushing for a spot, but now come playoff time, the Spurs are in it. The reason? Manu Ginobili. He stepped it up big time after Tony Parker fell to injury, and the Spurs remembered why Ginobili was such a valuable asset. So he was rewarded with a 3-year contract extension.

Key Matchups:

Caron Butler-Manu Ginobili
I think Butler is excited to be back in the playoffs after the Wizards missed it last year, and so he won't be wanting to drop out in the first round. He will most likely be the one who will have the task of guarding Ginobili, and I think he can contain him to the point in which Dallas pretty much has the series locked up.

Dirk Nowitzki-Tim Duncan
This is just a big matchup, period. Nowitzki will be a problem for the Spurs' frontline due to his ability to shoot beyond 12 feet. Duncan will be a problem inside because, well, he knows how to play the game of basketball. But, it is a good thing the Mavericks made the trade for Brendan Haywood. He can help and take care of Duncan inside so he doesn't explode and dump 20-20's on them the whole series. I see the Mavs taking care of business this series.

Prediction: Mavs in 6

3 Phoenix Suns-6 Portland Trail Blazers
It has been a long grueling journey for the Blazers to get all the way here, but I just think the Suns will be too much for them. The combo of Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire is too much alone, and then you add in the 3 point shooting of Channing Frye and Jason Richardson, and you get crushed.

Key Matchups:

Blazers frontcourt-Amare Stoudemire/Channing Frye
Amare is a tough guy to guard always, and Portland's frontcourt is far too thin to take care of both him and Channing Frye. Amare will bust them inside, and when they bring the double team, Frye will knock down a bunch of threes. It's just too tough for the Blazers right now.

Steve Nash/Goran Dragic-Andre Miller
However, even with Brandon Roy out, the Blazers still have a little light. Andre Miller. He just is beasting it up right now, and unfortunately the Suns' biggest weakness is their backcourt defense. Miller will be a slight problem, but other than that, this series belongs to Phoenix.

Prediction: Suns sweep

4 Denver Nuggets-5 Utah Jazz
Ever since George Karl has been out, the Nuggets haven't been the Nuggets. This will be a huge problem coming in against a hot Jazz team, and it will cost them big time.

Key Matchups:

Chauncey Billups-Deron Williams
This is an exciting matchup of two point guards who are great team leaders and can carry teams quite a ways. However, Williams gets the edge. He's quicker, stronger, and has been on fire lately (except in the last two games). He's been carrying the Jazz single-handedly, and that's why they are here. Billups will have to bring his best game to contain Deron.

Carmelo Anthony-CJ Miles
Another guy that has been hot: CJ Miles. Denver'll have to watch out for him. However, on the other side, Anthony is a guy who can blaze the Jazz and leaving them shaking their heads. The Jazz will have a problem with Melo, but I think they can pull off a first round win.

Prediction: Jazz in 6

And, here is what I think the Western Conference will end up like:
1 LA Lakers-4 Utah Jazz (Lakers in 6)
2 Dallas Mavericks-3 Phoenix Suns (Mavericks in 7)

Conference Finals:
1 LA Lakers-2 Dallas Mavericks (Lakers in 7)

Mock Draft 2010 1.0 (and predictions for the Final Four)

2010-04-02T18:12:00.006-06:00

Well, looks like a generous handful of struggling teams have their offseason all planned out. It may not work out as they hoped it to be, but they may come away with some young talent. The draft this year offers much potential talent, and the teams with the lottery picks better use them well. Here we go:

1 New Jersey Nets- John Wall
If the Nets do indeed snatch up the 1st overall pick, they won't make much of a hesitation in picking John Wall. He is the best point guard in the NCAA, and the Nets would be pounding themselves in the head if they were not to get him. A problem standing in the way is Devin Harris, although, he could be traded away in an offseason destined to be overhauled.

2 Minnesota Timberwolves- Evan Turner
The Timberwolves need a shooting guard, and Turner more than fits the bill. I don't like to praise Ohio State players, but Turner can play some good basketball.

3 Golden State Warriors- DeMarcus Cousins
He has an attitude, which is a bad thing to have if you are playing for the Warriors, but there is a pretty good-sized chance that Don Nelson will be fired by then, so it won't be as bad. If they can bring in a great coach, not just good, but great, the Warriors could be a great team. Cousins, Anthony Randolph, Curry, and Ellis sounds good.

4 Washington Wizards- Wes Johnson
If the Wizards can get Gilbert back, and get him with the new promising young mix consisting of Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee, and Al Thornton, and also draft Johnson, they won't be too bad. They'll take some big (potential) steps this offseason, and it starts with drafting a guy like Wes Johnson.

5 Detroit Pistons- Derrick Favors
They need a power forward that actually is...a power forward. They do have Charlie Villanueva, Jason Maxiell, and Jonas Jerebko, but none of them will help the Pistons become the Pistons again if they are the starting power forward. Get a guy like Favors, improve his conditioning and post moves a little bit, and the Pistons can get a step or two in getting back up and running again.

6 Sacramento Kings- Donatas Motiejunas
Usually big international guys either end up being stars, or they end up playing a minute a game and staying in the NBA for a season or two before bolting back to Europe. But, I think I can see Motiejunas becoming a pretty good player. He is very talented, and is much like Andrea Bargnani. He is a shooting big man. The downside to that is he doesn't play much defense. That's the thing that can make a 7 footer crumble.

7 Philadelphia 76ers- Al-Farouq Aminu
The Sixers have some good players (Samuel Dalembert, Marreese Speights, Thaddeus Young, Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday, and Elton Brand) but Eddie Jordan's system doesn't fit their group of players. First, they need a new coach, and second, they need to get Aminu. He will be the best player in the draft by pick number 7, and the Sixers need to grab him. Trading Iguodala could also be another decent idea, but I'm just throwing that one out there.

8 Utah Jazz (from New York Knicks)- Greg Monroe
The Jazz have been rolling lately, and their team is looking awesome. Carlos Boozer may not return after this year, and if that occurs, Monroe is the guy they want. Although sometimes he doesn't really look like he wants to be playing, he can replace the void of Boozer. He can bring some solid rebounding (Paul Millsap also will bring more) and add the grand feature of shot blocking in Boozer's place. He may not fill the offensive void of him, but he will bring some offense, and lots of solid defense.

9 Indiana Pacers- Gani Lawal
He may need to touch up on some offensive skills, but he could be a good piece for this young rebuilding Pacer team. Inside with Roy Hibbert, they could cause some big problems for other teams.

10 LA Clippers- Damion James
The Clippers have a chance at reeling in a big name free agent this summer, but regardless if they do or not, they can draft Damion James. He could make the Clippers potentially the best rebounding team in the league, and give them a strong frontcourt. Chris Kaman, Blake Griffin, Craig Smith, DeAndre Jordan, and Damion James sounds pretty tough.

11 New Orleans Hornets- Xavier Henry
He could play a G-F role for the Hornets, something that would be nice. They could give Collison, Thornton, and Stojakovic good play time, while also handing Henry some. He has a great attitude towards basketball and can score a bunch.

12 Milwaukee Bucks (option to switch first round picks with Chicago)- Patrick Patterson
The Bucks are turning into a good team. Lately, they have been playing very well, and if they add Patrick Patterson (depends if available), then they would only be getting better. I like their forward mix of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Ersan Ilyosava, and Carlos Delfino. With Patterson, there could be more inside scoring, and some more rebounds, defense, and athleticism.

13 Houston Rockets- Hassan Whitesides
It was fun to hear about the Rockets playing well without Yao and McGrady, but now that the offseason is near, it will be good to prepare for next season and a possible postseason berth. They could get Whitesides for some insurance just in case Yao doesn't play spectacular, and the Rockets could get a shot blocking maniac for those times down the stretch when the dominant big men are making everything. They could bring in Whitesides and he could beast it up. That's a guy that many teams probably would like to have.

14 Memphis Grizzlies- James Anderson
It's disappointing to see the Grizzlies' surprising run to end without a playoff seed, but you can see them becoming a better team next season. Even if Rudy Gay doesn't return, the Grizzlies still have some good players. And, they could grab James Anderson and give him some good playing time. Anderson would be the best choice in this scenario.

Here are my Final Four predictions:

1 Duke-2 West Virginia 80-72
5 Michigan State-5 Butler 74-79

I see Duke and Butler going. I love Duke's trio of Scheyer, Nolan Smith, and Kyle Singler (and also Brian Zoubek), and Butler was a team I was thinking might upset Syracuse when I was filling out my bracket. And now look at them, they are in the Final Four. I see them also heading past Michigan State to advance to the Finals.

Finals- Duke will win the tournament for the first time since 2001. It would be cool to see Butler win it all, but I am sticking with the Blue Devils here. Final score: 71-64.

Hmmm....

2010-02-26T20:51:00.003-07:00

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed what the Cavs have done? They have scammed two teams for big men since the summertime. They swapped Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, both of who got waived by the Suns, for Shaq. Then, just recently, they sent Zydrunas Ilgauskas to Washington for Antawn Jamison, and now they are getting him back.

You would say, "Oh, but the Lakers did that in '08 when they got Gasol." But the trade for Pau Gasol isn't looking like too much of a ripoff anymore. His brother (who was traded to the Grizzlies in the trade) has emerged and is a great big man. When you look at the Cavs, they really haven't lost anybody. Ben Wallace was struggling in Cleveland, and Pavlovic didn't do much at all in scarce minutes. Then, you look at the Jamison trade, and the Cavs didn't give them anyone. They "sent" Ilgauskas over there, only to get him back a couple days later. It's like a big scary kid picking on a small skinny kid.

Thoughts of trade deadline moves

2010-02-19T17:07:00.007-07:00

This year's trade deadline actually had a pretty good amount of trades happen. There were a lot of good trades that happened, but there were also some unfortunate downsides. Here we go..

The Cavs got their 4 who can stretch the floor in Antawn Jamison, apparently the last piece to their puzzle. I can see the Cavs getting to the Finals and winning it, but if they meet up with LA in the Finals, they are going to have to move Jamison down to a bench role unless they want Gasol, Odom, and Bynum killing them inside all night. Shaq can't guard 3 guys inside all at once. Jamison is more of an offensive player. So near the end of the playoffs, the Cavs will have to go with a stronger body like J.J. Hickson, or a pesky one like Anderson Varejao instead of Jamison. That's probably the only downside to this trade. Although, Zydrunas Ilgauskas could rejoin the Cavs, so we will have to watch that as well.
Received: Antawn Jamison, Sebastian Telfair
Grade: A-

The Knicks will be stocked up with cap space when summertime hits after they acquired Tracy McGrady and got rid of Jared Jeffries' $6.8 million that he is set to earn next season. The Knicks aren't really expected to make the playoffs, as the hardest part of their schedule is spread out over the remainder of the season, but they could grab guys like Joe Johnson and Carlos Boozer in the offseason and make a run for a playoff seed. The Knicks did a good job of setting themselves up at this deadline, and they deserve a decent grade.
Received: Tracy McGrady, Sergio Rodriguez, Eddie House, J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker
Grade: B

The Celtics needed to make a move, they are slowly fading away. Nate Robinson will bring some youth and excitement, along with a backup to Rajon Rondo they desperately needed. Nate could also slide up to SG sometimes, even with his 5-9 body, and still bring some scoring and athleticism to the roster. He should help them out a little bit and give the veterans some rest. The Celtics hope they'll be back up and running come playoff time, and Nate should help them out there. If not, the Big Three will have to step up big and start playing like it is 2008.
Received: Nate Robinson, Marcus Landry
Grade: B

The Kings broke up the unsuccessful pairing of Tyreke Evans and Kevin Martin and brought in guys that could help them for a long time. Carl Landry is just a real tough unselfish guy that any NBA team would want on their roster, and he will help the Kings with his time on the roster. Larry Hughes, Dominic McGuire, and Joey Dorsey probably won't make big impacts in Sacramento (Heck, Hughes may never even suit up in a Kings uniform), but I like the frontcourt pariring of Carl Landry and Jason Thompson. It can work. The Kings did a good job this deadline, I like it.
Received: Carl Landry, Joey Dorsey, Larry Hughes, Dominic McGuire
Grade: B+

The Rockets basically ushered in a new era. With the clearing of McGrady, the Rocket squad looks pretty different then it did not too long ago. They added Kevin Martin, Jared Jeffries, and Jordan Hill at the deadline this year, and all should have a positive impact on Houston. Martin will bring his scoring ability, Jeffries has his defensive abilities, and Hill is suspected to play a Carl Landry-like role off the bench. The future is looking good with starting point guard Aaron Brooks, Martin, Trevor Ariza, and most likely Yao Ming.
Received: Kevin Martin, Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, Hilton Armstrong
Grade: B+

The Jazz just altered the chemistry of the team, and the love of the fans. They traded Ronnie Brewer, a guy who Utah Jazzmen and fans loved. Sure, it eases the logjam at the forward/guard spot, but you don't break strong chemistry bonds like the one of Brewer and Jazz star guard Deron Williams. Williams was steamed: "...You look at all the teams that are getting better around the West and we essentially get worse, if you ask me.” He also said Brewer was like a little brother to him. The Jazz made a little error here, and it may cost them later on.
Received: Grizzlies future 1st round draft pick
Grade: D- (it clears up some space for Matthews, Korver, Kirilenko, and Miles so they can have more play time, so it's not an F)

However, to the Grizzlies, this gives them an asset that could help them if they do indeed make the playoffs. Brewer could play a 6th man role and improve the team's perimeter defense. This was quite a steal for Memphis. The only problem on the Grizz side is that he will get his minutes behind O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay.
Received: Ronnie Brewer
Grade: A-

The Bobcats strengthened their somewhat flimsy frontcourt, bringing in Tyrus Thomas from Chicago and Theo Ratliff from San Antonio. These additions should probably help the Bobcats hang on and crack out their first playoff birth. Both will bring defense to a team that is gradually becoming one of the league's better defensive teams. Good moves. Downside: There was talking about how throwing Thomas onto a Larry Brown team would cook a disaster. Hopefully it all pans out all right.
Received: Tyrus Thomas, Theo Ratliff
Grade: A-

The Bulls brought in some new faces, but likely none of them will be in a Chicago uniform by the start of next season because all their contracts expire in the summer and the Bulls want to lure in a top free agent. None of them will really be spectacular for the Bulls, it was more like they just replaced their guys with similar games. Hakim Warrick replaced Tyrus Thomas, and Flip Murray will take over John Salmons' role. Not much to be thrilled about now, but hopefully there will be a great move in the future.
Received: Ronald "Flip" Murray, Hakim Warrick, Joe Alexander, Acie Law, Bobcats future 1st round draft pick.
Grade: C

I like the moves that the Bucks made. Bringing in John Salmons to patch up the Michael Redd injury was a good one, but other than that, not much was done. The Sixers sent them Primoz Brezec, Royal Ivey, and their 2010 second round draft pick (along with a couple Bulls draft picks from Chicago), but none of them will be significant impacts on the Bucks as they try to sneak into the playoffs.
Received: John Salmons, Primoz Brezec, Royal Ivey, 76ers 2010 second round draft pick, Bulls 2011 and 2012 second round draft picks, and the option to swap 2010 1st round draft picks if the Bulls get higher than the 11th pick in the draft
Grade: B-

The Blazers deserve Marcus Camby. They had their top centers succumb to season-ending injuries, and had to go with 6-9 veteran Juwan Howard at starting center. With Camby in the mix, the Blazers look to be serious playoff contenders. And they only had to give up an injured forward and their 3rd string point guard. Great move by Portland.
Received: Marcus Camby
Grade: A

The Clippers' decision to move Camby was a good one for Portland, but it made the Clippers look like they were just giving up this season. Sure, they probably wouldn't have ended up making the playoffs anyway, but with all the hype surrounding them at the start of the season, they could have at least tried to power in the playoffs and stun the league. Instead, they dropped, became a disappointment, and traded one of the league's best defensive big men at the deadline. Of course, Outlaw, Gooden, and Blake won't turn the Clippers around suddenly.
Received: Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake, Drew Gooden, cash
Grade: C-

Breaking up the once-successful Wizards is a sad sight to see, but after that whole Gil incident, anyone could see it coming. After his suspension, the Wizards couldn't put it together, so they sent Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to the Mavs and Jamison to the Cavs. In return, they picked up an array of players who most likely won't bring the Wizards out of the hole this season. Hey, maybe next season.
Received: Josh Howard, James Singleton, Quinton Ross, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Al Thornton, rights to Emir Preldzic, Cavs 2010 first round draft pick
Grade: D+

The Mavs were big winners this year. They upgraded on Howard at small forward with Caron Butler, and snatched a great defensive big man in Brendan Haywood. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant liked the Mavs' move of picking up his former teammate, Butler. "You're going to love him," Bryant said. "I hate to say that, but you guys are going to absolutely love him. You put him on a contender and I'm telling you, you're going to love him. And he's tough as nails, too."
Received: Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, DeShawn Stevenson
Grade: A

Also, the Wolves grabbed Darko Milicic, the Sixers got Jodie Meeks and Francisco Garcia, and the Spurs received a Bobcats' protected second round pick in 2016.

Trade Ideas

2010-02-16T19:23:00.006-07:00

I have three trades that could happen before or at this year's trade deadline, that makes good sense for the teams involved. We have seen the Mavs load up with talent by adding Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, and the Blazers cleared up some of their big man needs by acquiring Marcus Camby.

1. Jamison for Ilgauskas, Moon, Hickson.

The Cavs get a PF that can spread the floor, and most likely Ilgauskas, because the Wizards will probably buy out his contract. The Wizards break up the Big Three and start over on a new clean slate, with a promising Hickson and an athletic & exciting Moon.

2. Amare to the Heat

If the Heat are serious about adding Stoudemire, then this is a trade option to look at. You have to give up a young rising star to Phoenix if you want it to happen, so they should send Michael Beasley over to the Suns, along with an expiring contract in Quentin Richardson. He could add to the Suns' great 3 point shooting for the rest of the season, and let his contract expire to take a little off the cap.

3. 4 way including McGrady, Jefferson, Hughes, and Jeffries

It doesn't sound like an amazing trade for the Bulls right now, but the young PF combo of Jordan Hill and Taj Gibson could be a great frontcourt force in the future. They also get the expiring contract of the retired Cuttino Mobley, something that can help them as they prepare to make a splash on the free agent market.

The Rockets get Hughes' expiring contract, something that could help them out. Just in case they don't pick up a solid name in the summer, John Salmons could be a fall back option. He can provide some quick scoring off the bench for Houston the rest of this year and beyond. They also should receive some draft picks and cash considerations to sweeten the deal.

The Knicks get two chunky expiring contracts, something they would love deeply, and relieve themselves of Jeffries. They let all the expiring contracts expire, and they have a fresh new lookout. They have a team of Danilo Gallinari, Toney Douglas, and Wilson Chandler, which only account for about $5 million combined. The Knicks have room to sign a pair of guys like Carlos Boozer and Joe Johnson, plus a defensive big man and some key throw ins.

And, the Spurs get rid of the disappointing Jefferson, grab Tyrus Thomas, and a Jared Jeffries that can replace the defense void that Bruce Bowen left. These two can enhance San Antonio's defense and get them all prepared for the playoffs.

My All-Star reserve picks

2010-01-22T15:58:00.005-07:00

All right, so the starters for the NBA All-Star Game were chosen recently, and a couple guys were snubbed. However, that almost guarantees a reserve spot for them. Here are my choices for the reserves of the game.

East
Starters: Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson.
Reserves: Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Derrick Rose, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace.

West
Starters: Amare Stoudemire, Tim Duncan, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash.
Reserves: Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Paul, Pau Gasol, Kevin Durant, Zach Randolph, Deron Williams, Brandon Roy.

Also, I'll just throw in my choices for the Rookie-Sophomore game.

Rookies
Starters: DeJuan Blair, Taj Gibson, Omri Casspi, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings.
Reserves: Stephen Curry, Johnny Flynn, Jonas Jerebko, James Harden (I would have gone with Serge Ibaka right here, but then remembered there is no defense in All-Star festivities).

Sophomores
Starters: Brook Lopez, Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, Derrick Rose.
Reserves: Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Marc Gasol, Danilo Gallinari.

Carl Landry is a beast

2009-12-21T20:24:00.003-07:00

All right. So he gets 5 teeth knocked out or cracked, and just walks back to the bench calmly and signals that he needs to come out of the game. Dirk gets 2 of them stuck in his elbow and screams in pain.

But also keep in mind that Landry was the guy who got shot in the leg last year, and then came back three weeks later and played. And he is probably going to come back and play next game! Crazy.

Boozer needs to become selfless

2009-12-17T20:32:00.004-07:00

I am not a big Jazz fan, but since I have been in Utah 14 years, I have heard many things about the team, and I suppose I should write out what I have been thinking about them lately.

All right, there is a lot of buzz going around that Boozer is the best power forward in the league right now. Sure, 20 points and 11 rebounds is awesome, but stats don't tell the story. Most of the time, what happens in the game stays in the game and isn't written out on stat sheets. "Carlos Boozer tries to take away Mehmet Okur's rebound and it goes out of bounds" is not written anywhere. You have to see what's going on on the court to truly see how good of a player someone is.

In my opinion, Boozer still has a long way to go if he wants to be the best power forward in the league. Again, stats really don't say anything. Boozer is a pretty selfish guy. He needs his numbers, needs his 20-10 games. That's what gets people to look over and say "Oh, he is a great player." No, that's not the idea at all. What goes on in the game is most important, and what Boozer has been doing lately is not amazing or flashy or great, it's selfish.

When I look at guys like Chauncey Billups, Tim Duncan, the Houston Rockets, etc. I think "Carlos Boozer could learn a lot from these guys." But, of course if he had the chance to learn from them, it wouldn't work out. Boozer's ego is one of the biggest in the league, just hear him talk to the media after the game and you'll find out why.

Remember about a year ago, Booz made that famous statement that really brought that selfishness to a high level. "I'm opting out. No matter what, I'm going to get a raise regardless." Yeah, he got that raise, but it's because he decided not to opt out. He hauls in $12.66 million this year. Why did he choose to not opt out after all? No team wanted him. Selfishness and player relationships are really looked into when GMs are signing players. If a GM just grabs someone because of their numbers, it will really mess them up later on. He does not deserve 12 million, probably not even half of that. He is a great player, don't get me wrong, but selflessness is one of the biggest lessons you have to learn when you are up there getting lots of attention. Also something he probably won't ever understand, either. And unless Boozer learns to be selfless or they wait until after this season for his contract to expire, Utah won't be a contender.

NBA November Rookie Rankings

2009-11-28T14:00:00.003-07:00

One month into the NBA season, and many rookies are already making names for themselves. Here is the outlook of them so far:

1 G Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee
Jennings was somewhat of a surprise thus far, as was his Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks are now 8-6, after starting out 8-3. They need to get back on track, but even 8-6 is a very surprising record for a team like Milwaukee. Jennings has been the big bright star for this team, leading the rookies in scoring (22.6) and assists (5.6). Milwaukee will just keep getting better and better while Jennings is in control.

2 G Tyreke Evans, Sacramento
Evans is also bringing his team up a little bit. Sure, 7-8 isn't an mind-boggling record, but if they win another one, they will already have more than half the wins that they collected last year. That was when they only won a miserable 15 games. Evans is the leader of the team, he is second on the Kings in points with 19.1, first in assists at 4.8, along with 5.3 rebounds and 1.43 steals a game. If Evans and the Kings keep on this pace the whole season, who knows, maybe they could jump into the playoffs.

3 G Johnny Flynn, Minnesota
Ok, I know, Minnesota is sucking it up this season with a 1-15 record (their only win was their season opener against now 0-16 New Jersey), but the Wolves made the right choice of taking Flynn in the draft. Soon, he could be one of the top point guards in the league. He hasn't been spectacular so far, but he has potential to be a great point guard later on. Look for him to be in the talk of Rookie of the Year, but don't count 100% on him to grab it.

4 G Ty Lawson, Denver
He is already one of the speediest guards in the NBA, and is a key provider off the bench for Denver. He earns a spot in the top 5.

5 G Darren Collison, New Orleans
Collison has really stepped up with Chris Paul out, and it really has made an impact on the Hornets. New Orleans actually looks like a better team with Collison controlling the point, and the standings have shown it. In the past 6 games Collison started for the Hornets. They went 4-2, and he averaged 14.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 1 steal in 30.5 minutes a game. Even when Paul comes back, they should still use this rookie every once in a while.

Player of note:
Terrence Williams- He is a good player, but his shooting is horrendous and the Nets haven't won a game yet. If he and his team can shape up a bit, he would be a shoo-in to the top 5.

Surprises and disappointments

2009-11-19T06:34:00.003-07:00

Brandon Jennings has been one of the biggest surprises this NBA season so far

A little sliver into the season, and there are already many surprising things, and many disappointing things. Think like Brandon Jennings, Eric Maynor, Ty Lawson. 3 point guards drafted back in June in a point guard-stacked draft class. They all just were mixed up in the point guard barrel, with Johnny Flynn, Tyreke Evans, and Stephen Curry headlining the group. But, once the season started, these three guys (Jennings, Maynor, Lawson) emerged as the better picks. Here is what I'm thinking.

Surprises

Brandon Jennings
I was expecting him to be a little bit off with the Bucks, because he seemed kind of cocky and had lots of hype surrounding him, but now look at him. He is averaging 25.5 points and 5.5 assists (including a recent 55 point outburst against the Warriors), and the Bucks are near the top of the Central Division standings with a 5-3 record. They started off winning a game, dropping one, and then going on a 4 game winning streak up to yesterday, when they lost to the Mavs by 2 in OT. For me, before the season started, the Bucks were projected to go near the bottom of the standings. But they could actually make the playoffs, and they might not even need Michael Redd. I'd never thought I would say that.

Eric Maynor
When the Jazz drafted this kid out of Virginia Commonwealth on draft day, I thought he wouldn't get much playing time and just would watch Deron Williams and Ronnie Price play it out while he sat on the bench. That's how it was for the first few games, but when Deron Williams attained to his sick daughter and was dismissed for a couple games, Maynor snatched the opportunity to show what he can do. And he did exactly what he was planning to do. In his first NBA start ever against Philadelphia, he went out and had 13 points and 11 assists in 36 minutes. I was just said merely, "Oh, that will probably be the ceiling for him all season". But, I was wrong. Next game, against Cleveland, he played 41 minutes and went 9-of-16 for a season-high 24 points. He went out there and played like a point guard who has been in the league for 10 years. He was good. It'll be a little disappointing to see Deron come back and reclaim his spot at point guard, but I'm sure Maynor will get many more opportunities to shine later on in the season.

Ty Lawson
This says it all.

Steve Nash
So far, all of the guys that surprised me the most have been point guards. But, this one surprised me the most. I thought Nash was going to have a so-so season going into his 14th year in the NBA, but he already has logged two 20-assist games, and has lead the Suns to a 10-2 record thus far. And he is 35 years old. When he signed that two year extension, many thought that he wasn't interested in winning a championship anymore, because he easily could have signed a deal with a contending team instead. But, now look at Phoenix, and they look like they could win a title in that two year period. It's because of Nash, he looks like he is a 25 year old point guard instead of a 35 year old.

Jamal Crawford and the Atlanta Hawks
I wasn't expecting very much out of this guy when he was sent to Atlanta in an offseason trade, but he has elevated to my candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award this season. I thought that Bibby, Johnson, and rookie Jeff Teague would take up most of the minutes in the backcourt, but Crawford has played almost 29 minutes a game and is averaging 16.6 points per game. And the Hawks are leading the East with a 10-2 record right now. Crawford is a big part of that, coming off the bench.

Danilo Gallinari
I wasn't expecting much out of him after a somewhat disappointing rookie season in which he only played 28 games. But, he came into this season looking awesome. Right now he is averaging 14 points while shooting a glorious 46% from downtown. He is 2nd in the NBA in 3 point field goals made right now, and 5th in 3 pointers attempted. He really shined in the game against Philadelphia on Halloween this year, when he had a career-high 8 three pointers en route to a career-high 30 points, in a career-high 42 minutes. This guy will be a key part of NY's rebuilding plan after this season.

Ben Wallace
He was basically just thrown away by the Suns like he wasn't anything except a scrap of metal that took up space. But the Pistons took a chance on him, looking to get some of the former Piston Ben Wallace out of him. And, it worked. He is getting less minutes, but he is doing the same thing that he did for Detroit back in the 2004, 2005 area. Dirty Work. Rebounds, Blocks, Steals...just plain defense. That's all he needs to do, and it benefits his team greatly.

Disappointments

Los Angeles Clippers
I thought that the Clippers finally had things going their way, but of course, something went wrong. #1 pick Blake Griffin got injured. Every year, it looks like the Clippers are going to get back on the right track, but the Clippers curse takes its place. Last year, it was the additions of Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, and Marcus Camby. I thought these guys could get back in the playoffs. Of course, they lost Elton Brand and Corey Maggette as well, but Davis, Gordon, and Camby looked like solid additions that could secure the Clippers with a 7 or 8 seed in the playoffs. But, instead they finished with only 19 wins. Then, the routine kicked in again. They got the #1 pick. It was looking all great again. They also dumped Zach Randolph's hefty contract in Memphis. Looked like a playoff team again, and BANG! Clippers curse. My suggestion is to get a new front office, or maybe a decent coach. Their current coach, Mike Dunleavy, has gone 194-298 as coach of the Clippers in 7 seasons. Playoffs once in those 7 seasons. Time for a new coach. Sure, they are having problems because of Dunleavy's contract, but there is a coach out there somewhere that is cheaper and would benefit the team more than Dunleavy.

Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur
Both these guys cannot play defense. You'd think because of their size that they could be able to contest shot attempts, but they just stand there on the defensive end. Boozer is just lazy I guess, but Okur is not JUST lazy, he is also one of the slowest players in the NBA. Take this video for example, in which the Boston Celtics announcer calls Okur a "lump of nothing" on defense:

Good news for Jazz fans though. Boozer will most likely not be with Utah after this season, and the Jazz will probably get a lottery pick from New York. They might even get a lottery pick of their own if they don't finish well this season. So, they should take a big guy that can play decent defense, and also take a shooting guard. They need depth back there. Brendan Haywood could be an awesome free agent pickup if they need him, but it depends if Washington is planning to re-sign him after this season, or if Utah is willing to dish out some cash.

New Jersey Nets
It's pretty disappointing to see them start out 0-12, but it'll all be worth it in the end. They did a good job of raking in some young talent and getting rid of Vince Carter, and in a couple years the Nets will be an elite team headlined by Brook Lopez, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Terrence Williams. Growing pains after rebuilding are normal. Portland is a great example. 03-04, their record was 41-41. 04-05, record was 27-55. 05-06, record was 21-61. From there, things got a little better. The Blazers grabbed future stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy in the draft. 06-07, they went up to 32-50. Zach Randolph was shipped off to New York, Greg Oden was taken #1 in the draft, and in 07-08, they were back at 41-41. Oden didn't play his rookie season, but then he joined the Blazers in 08-09 and they went 54-28. That turned out to be their second highest amount of wins in a season in franchise history. The Nets probably will be a team like this, but getting at least 2 or 3 wins before December would be nice. It would help them get into the rhythm of winning games so that they can be prepared in the near future.

Allen Iverson
Many believe this guy is done, but he has to still have a little bit left in his tank to score just a few more 30 point games. Problem is, Memphis signed Jamaal Tinsley and threw Iverson out on the streets of NBA free agency. It was disappointing to see him get waived by the Grizzlies. But, now New York is a much clearer option, and he would be a decent fit for just this one season. New York's point guard troubles have been noticeable for a while, so why not just give Iverson one last chance to show that he can still play a little basketball? He probably would only sign to a one year deal like he did with Memphis. The Knicks should just take a chance on him, they have nothing to lose. They are already have a 2-9 record to start the season, and it wouldn't ruin the Knicks' 2010 free agent master plan.

New Orleans Hornets
Cap space is a problem for this team. Most overpaid guy on their team: Peja Stojakovic. He should only be getting 8, 9 million a year, but instead he is raking in around 14-15 million a year. Ridiculous. Chris Paul receives 13 million this season, that's much more understandable, Emeka Okafor is a little over what he should get at 10 million this year with about a million increase every year through the 2013-14 season. Not to mention David West is grabbing about 9 million this year. All of those guys except for Paul are just role players. Overpaid role players. That is why the Hornets have started out with a disappointing 4-8 record. They are in a real tangle that will hurt them for years. Not much cap space will be relieved for them until Stojakovic's contract expires in 2011. But even then, they will still be in quite a mess.

Ty Lawson

2009-10-29T19:10:00.000-06:00

Ty Lawson will be a big time point guard in the future

Spring 2009- As Ty Lawson was awarded with the ACC Player of the Year and the Bob Cousy Award, which signified he was the best collegiate point guard, he was probably thinking about going for one last NCAA Championship run before putting his name in the NBA draft. He puts his awards aside and buckles up for the tournament. And, of course, in the end he came away with a title and confidence leading up to the NBA draft.

It was looking good, he was one of the best point guards this year, and it was a stacked point guard class. It was sort of a disappointment to see him drop to Minnesota at #18 (he was later traded to Denver). But, we also saw DeJuan Blair take a huge drop as well, he was expected to be in the lottery to mid-rounds, and he fell all the way to 37 only to fall on the lap of the San Antonio Spurs. Both guys could be huge stars in the NBA someday, but right now they are starting out their careers on talented, contending teams.

Lawson is often recognized for his lightning speed and what he can bring into a game in just a few minutes. We saw him showcase a solid, if not spectacular, preseason for the Nuggets. He won't get starters minutes, but you should watch for him in these first 7 games of the Nuggets', because J.R. Smith is out. That opened a window for him, and he took advantage of it.

He scored 17 points and dished out 6 assists in 26 minutes off the bench in the Nuggets' season opening 114-105 win over the Utah Jazz. He just came into the game and provided a big spark for Denver. Utah led most of the first part of the game, but when they plugged Lawson in, Denver gradually became closer and closer, and they pierced into Utah's lead, and never looked back from there.

Ty will just keep getting better and better as he gets more experience. Although he won't be getting 25+ minutes a game when Smith comes back from his suspension, he will be using his minutes wisely when he gets them. Once Chauncey starts to age, and there are 1 or 2 openings in the rotation, Lawson will take a jump in minutes and become an elite NBA point guard. He could even get traded to a team in need of a "Sparkplug" guy in the future. But, however anything goes in the future, Lawson will eventually get his time where he is a franchise guy and he is getting Chris Paul or Deron Williams minutes.

Tipoff Tonight!

2009-10-27T16:09:00.007-06:00

It's that time of year again! The NBA season tips off tonight! Here are my predictions for tonight's games:

Boston Celtics @ Cleveland Cavaliers

This game will probably answer a few questions. Like: If both team's additions will benefit them in the future. We have to see if Shaq can play sidekick to LeBron without taking up much of the spotlight. We'll have to see if Anthony Parker can play over a troubled Delonte West. Will Rasheed be a good compliment off the bench? What about KG's knees? Will he be able to jump and be as athletic as he's been his whole career? This game will most likely answer these questions.
Prediction: Cavaliers 103-Celtics 92
There may be some early game jitters, but I think that the Cavs will come out and smash the aging Celtics

Washington Wizards @ Dallas Mavericks

Dallas stacked up their team this year, let's see if it gives them an advantage. The injury to Josh Howard should clear a little bit more playing time for the other guys so there is less cramming, so that will help them in this game. And for the Wizards, we'll see if Gilbert Arenas can return to his killing All-Star form and if they can overcome the loss of Antawn Jamison.
Prediction: Mavericks 105-Wizards 97

Although I would like to see the Wizards run away with this one, the Mavericks pretty much already have this game sealed up. Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki will come up big for the Mavs in the second half and be rewarded with a victory.

Houston Rockets @ Portland Trail Blazers

The Rockets are opening the season in Rip City without their two star players to lead them. Looks like they're done for.... WRONG! Houston will be playing with a load of unselfish, key, role players in their opener. They will at least be able to keep up with Portland with those guys.
Prediction: Blazers 98-Rockets 88

The Rockets will be able to keep the Blazers from blowing them out, but Portland still will have a solid lead throughout the game, and end up with a win.

LA Clippers @ LA Lakers
Big night in LA tonight. Their city's two teams are squaring off at the Staples Center to begin the NBA season. The Clippers would love to end their losing ways and turn a new page. We saw them all firm and ready to start, but then the Clippers' curse did it's job. After Baron Davis got into great shape, and the team picked up Blake Griffin #1 in the draft, Griffin went and busted his knee. This curse thing is no joke. But, the Lakers are looking good. We could be in for a huge season from center Andrew Bynum, and Ron Artest could help improve the Lakers on both sides of the floor. Plus these guys are hyped up from winning a championship last year, so it looks fantastic for one of the LA teams.
Prediction: Lakers 109-Clippers 95
I feel bad for the Clips, they have a good team, but every year something seems to go wrong. This one goes to the Lakers.

Miami, Utah, Minnesota, Oklahoma City all have something in common

2009-09-15T15:56:00.010-06:00

They have bright futures ahead of them. I have looked into a couple of things, and noticed that they have a good future, if they make the correct decisions. The Utah Jazz are a good example:

Deron Williams is turning into a great point guard. Paul Millsap will get more playing time, something I have obserbed and experienced while living in Utah is that all Jazz fans want Millsap to start and play more minutes than Carlos Boozer. He is a better defender in the paint, and over the amount of time that Boozer was injured, showed he could post double-doubles almost every night. Millsap and Williams, along with Ronnie Brewer, Andrei Kirilenko, and Mehmet Okur could be a good combination, mixed in with key bench guys like Kyle Korver and rookie pick-up Eric Maynor. That's the future of Utah.

Oh, and not to mention they get New York's 1st round pick in 2010, which is most likely to be a lottery pick. Carlos Boozer's contract worth $12 million expires, which brings cap relief to the Jazz. Millsap, Williams, and Brewer will be even better than the previous season, it just is looking good for Utah, if they make all the right moves. The 2010 draft is looking pretty strong right now. Guys like Ed Davis of North Carolina, John Wall of Kentucky, Al-Farouq Aminu of Wake Forest, and Derrick Favors of Georgia Tech, to name a couple. It is looking good, so Utah could be getting a good draft pick in the lottery, and another one if it is under the 17th pick. If not, Minnesota gets it. But anyway, the future looks pretty good for the Jazz.

Also, the Timberwolves and Thunder are looking good, coming off the rebuilding stage. Both teams lost two of their big stars to Boston. Minnesota lost it's all-time best player Kevin Garnett, and the Thunder, formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics, lost Ray Allen, their star player both to the Boston Celtics in the summer of '07. The Sonics also lost Rashard Lewis, their other star player, to the Orlando Magic. So, both of the teams entered rebuilding mode. That summer, the Sonics made pickups of rookies Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, who will end up being 2 of the biggest key players for Oklahoma City in a few years. They grabbed Russell Westbrook in 2008, and this year they picked up James Harden from Arizona State.

As for Minnesota, they acquired Al Jefferson and Ryan Gomes in the trade for Garnett, Kevin Love in the '08 draft, and Johnny Flynn and Ramon Sessions this year. Although they traded two of their key players in Randy Foye and Mike Miller to the Wizards for the draft pick of Ricky Rubio, who ended up signing with Barcelona. They have made quite a bit of mistakes, but their team is looking pretty good. Both will be getting more draft picks and more cap space to sign big time players, or key veterans. Both teams are looking towards the future.

Another team that could have a bright future if everything goes right is Miami. They have a shot at the championship in the 2010-11 season. It all lays upon how the 2010 offseason works out, and if Michael Beasley turns out to be the player Miami drafted him for. Jermaine O'Neal's and Dwyane Wade's contracts will expire after this season, opening up a huge block of cap space. They can give a max contract to Wade, and still have enough cap space to give another player a max contract. Just think, Wade alongside LeBron James, Chris Bosh, or Amare Stoudemire. Throw in Beasley and PG Mario Chalmers, and you've got yourself a championship contender. I can see Wade playing with Amare, those two would dominate the decade. James, it probably won't happen, but Bosh could be a pretty big possibility to land in Miami with Wade, because he most likely isn't returning to Toronto after this year.

There are also more teams with significant cap space in the summer of 2010 that could turn into good teams. Maybe just good teams, though, not championship contenders. If you are wondering what I mean by that, look at the New Jersey Nets for an example. They have a squad containing Yi Jianlian and Devin Harris, who are good players, but not huge All-Stars, and are the faces of the Nets. If they can lure in a big name free agent such as Stoudemire, Michael Redd, Manu Ginobili, Carlos Boozer, etc., they will get better, but still won't be a team who wins the championship. Other teams that are in the same category as the Nets, the ones who don't have extreme talent, just moderate talent, include the Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Los Angeles Clippers. And there are others with a little bit more talent, like the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets. We'll just have to see how all these teams are impacted during next summer. Some will become successful teams, some could get worse.

Iverson signs one-year deal w/ Memphis (And BYU jumps up to #9 after win over OU)

2009-09-09T16:16:00.006-06:00

Allen Iverson will join O.J. Mayo and the Grizzlies this upcoming season

Allen Iverson finally signed with a team.

It is very surprising for a guy like Iverson to drop way back to September to sign with a team. Here are his words that he posted on Twitter: "God Chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career. I met with Mr. Heinsley, Chris Wallace and my next head coach Lionel Hollins". Iverson also added, "I feel that they are committed to developing a winner and I know that I can help them to accomplish that. I feel that I can trust them."

After saying he was waiting on the Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks for offers on his Twitter page a while ago, it ended up with Iverson joining the Grizzlies.

He will join a young core of O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, and Mike Conley. He will also join Zach Randolph as one of the other gambles that Memphis made this offseason. They acquired Randolph from the LA Clippers a while back, for guard Quentin Richardson. Randolph and Iverson are the kind of guys who want all of the spotlight. Plus, Mayo, Randolph, and Iverson will take most of the shots each game, leaving less oppurtunites for Gay to grow and become a great player. This was a big gamble for Memphis, but who knows, maybe it will work out & Memphis will turn into a playoff team.

ALSO:
Minnesota lost their fifth pick in the draft, Spain's teenage point guard Ricky Rubio, to Barcelona. The NBA won't see him play in their league until, at the earliest, 2011. It doesn't look like a possibilty for Minnesota, who made recent acquirements of guards Ramon Sessions and Antonio Daniels. So, when Rubio eventually comes to the NBA, he probably won't ever show up in a Timberwolves uniform.

And, I probably should have posted this earlier, but BYU stunned the NCAA football nation and beat the third ranked Oklahoma Sooners 14-13. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but the Sooners missed a 54-yard field goal in the end, and BYU came up victorious. Also, it looks like OU's Heisman quarterback Sam Bradford is out for the season, after a hit from Coleby Clawson left him on the sidelines for the rest of the game with a sling. Max Hall went 26-38 for 329 yards and two touchdowns for BYU. The Cougs jumped 11 spots and are now #9, and Oklahoma dropped 10 spots to #13.

All righty, BYU game

2009-09-04T16:53:00.002-06:00

Ok, the BYU-Oklahoma game is coming up, and so here is my prediction for that game.

Man, I want BYU to win, but it just looks like the Sooners have this game already locked up. Maybe they do or maybe they don't. It just depends on their attitude & how they act when they are playing BYU. They haven't been working as much as the Cougs have since the season ended back in January, and so I think mentally, the Cougars have this game. Oklahoma could show up unprepared and cocky to the game against the Y, and the Cougars could just destroy them and go to Louisiana ready to squish Tulane, but it's probably not a big chance it will happen. It could happen, and I want it to happen, but the Sooners are a terrific team.

We all know BYU's defense can be horrendous at some times, and that QB Max Hall just plain out sucks some times, but they have been preparing and working as hard as they could for this game so they can at least compete with them. Now that star wide reciever Austin Collie is playing ball for the Colts in the NFL this year, Hall is going to have to adjust with recievers McKay Jacobsen, Luke Ashworth, and O'Neill Chambers and get really comfortable and have trust in them so that BYU can be a great team. It looks like Hall likes how Jacobsen plays, and the combo could be a good one. Maybe BYU will be able to keep up with the #3 team in the nation, I know I will be hoping and crossing my fingers.

Prediction: Oklahoma 42, BYU 35. I want BYU to win, but clearly the Sooners are the better team.

Timberwolves past draft picks

2009-09-02T17:13:00.005-06:00

Ouch

Here are the Minnesota T-Wolves past draft picks since 1995. They have really passed out on a lot of talent. Here you go:

1995- They picked Kevin Garnett, their superstar for many years to come.

1996- They chose Ray Allen, who would be a great matchup with Garnett, but they traded him for PG Stephon Marbury. Marbury and Garnett were a pretty good combination, and now Allen is playing alongside KG in Boston. How ironic. (Also, the Wolves passed up on Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. Two future MVP's. Ouch.)

1997- They chose Paul Grant, who isn't even in the NBA anymore. All of the better players were already chosen before Minnesota chose, but Stephen Jackson and Bobby Jackson are 2 who were still left on the board.

1998- They got Rasho Nesterovic. Wow. Over Rashard Lewis, Al Harrington, and Cuttino Mobley. They all could of helped Minnesota as well.

1999- They got Wally Szczerbiak and... some guy named Louis Bullock over, are you ready for this?- Rip Hamilton, Andre Miller, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, Corey Maggette, Manu Ginobili, and Andrei Kirilenko. Yeah, all I can say is ouch.

2000, 2001, 2002- Didn't get any draft picks those 3 years because they gave Joe Smith an illegal contract.

2003- In one of the best drafts ever, the T-Wolves chose Ndudi Ebi. Yeah, you'll be sitting there at your computer going, "Who the heck is that?" Well, he played with Minnesota for 2 years, appeared in only 19 games. And uh.... I don't really know what happened to him after that. He is lost in some Euro league out in the far east. They chose Ebi over Leandro Barbosa, Josh Howard, and Mo Williams.

2004- This was the season that the Timberwolves were actually a pretty good team. Garnett won his first MVP award, and Minnesota made it to the Western Conference Finals before dropping to the Lakers. No 1st round picks that year, but they drafted Blake Stepp with the 58th pick. But he didn't make the team, so they got no one that year from the draft.

2005- Rashad McCants and Bracey Wright were both chosen in this draft. McCants was chosen 14th over Danny Granger, Hakim Warrick, David Lee, Monta Ellis, and current Wolf Ryan Gomes. Now McCants is on the Sacramento Kings, and Wright (who played HS ball with Jazz star guard Deron Williams) is with Aris BC.

2006- Oh man, they chose Brandon Roy. They had him in their hands. But then they traded him to Portland. And then got Randy Foye in return from Boston. Foye is a decent player, but Roy could have made Garnett stay, and the two could dominate in Minnesota for years to come. But, obviously that didn't happen. Now, Garnett's with Boston, Foye is with Washington, and Roy is with the Blazers. They also got Craig Smith and Bobby Jones in back-to-back picks in the second round. Smith was pretty good, but they could have gotten Paul Millsap and Daniel Gibson in back-to-back picks instead.

2007- Corey Brewer looked like a great pick at the time, but didn't play like the Corey Brewer that Minnesota drafted him for. And, here is where Kevin Garnett left for Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Boston. Al Jefferson was acquired, but losing Garnett really put a wound in Minnesota. Ok, now more about Brewer. There, of course, were guys picked after him that now have better careers than him. They are: Joakim Noah, Thaddeus Young, Al Thornton, Rudy Fernandez, Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry, Marc Gasol, and Ramon Sessions, to name a few. Chris Richard was chosen in the second round. Also over Gasol and Sessions.

2008- This one was...ok. They drafted O.J. Mayo. I saw this and was like "Woo hoo go Minnesota!" But then, they traded him for Kevin Love and, that sentence left my head. Love is good, but Mayo would have been better. Although one good reason they used Love for last season was that Al Jefferson was injured for a while, so Love did a good job to almost fill that role. Then, another good pick in the 2nd round. They chose Mario Chalmers. I was like "Hey, they might be all right." But, again, I spoke too soon. They sent Chalmers to Miami. Darn.

2009- And, this one will probably help them the most, but they made some mistakes again. They shouldn't have chosen Rubio, even though they didn't know he would skip out on becoming a Timberwolf to play in Spain back in June. It was a good thing that they chose Johnny Flynn to be their point guard, and he will help them. Instead of Rubio, they should have grabbed DeMar DeRozan or Terrence Williams, but hey, who knows, maybe Rubio will come to Minnesota in 2 years and team up with Flynn to create one of the best point guard combos in NBA history. .......Or maybe not. Oh well, Flynn was a good pick this year.

And as you can see, Minnesota has not made very many good decisions. They could have had a Kevin Garnett-Ray Allen, or Garnett-Kobe, or Garnett-Nash combo. Same with a Garnett-Roy combo. Could have made the T-Wolves title contenders for a long time. Wow.

09-10 award predictions

2009-08-28T19:07:00.004-06:00

I've been feeling the urge to blog lately about the upcoming NBA season. Here is another post about next season: my predictions for the awards.

Most Valuable Player (MVP)
I want to see someone else at the top this year; someone not named LeBron James or Kobe Bryant. Don't get me wrong, they are both exciting players, and Bryant is one of my favorite players, but it would be great to see a change, such as Dwyane Wade or Kevin Durant winning the award. If either of them can really make a big move this season and help their team to be a fierce playoff team, then I'll guess one of them. It's not a very high chance, but it could happen. My prediction for this season's top 5 in MVP voting is.......

Dwyane Wade
LeBron James
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Durant
Dwight Howard

Rookie of the Year
This one isn't too hard to determine. You could say Blake Griffin, because of his summer league dominance, but his team would have to give him the ball a lot, if he is going to be a 20-10 guy. Well, he could fill in the void for Elton Brand, but the NBA game is a whole lot tougher than summer league basketball. I see him as a guy that starts off as a 18 point-9 rebound guy in his rookie season. Next in line, I see Johnny Flynn. It's like a negative 4% chance Ricky Rubio is coming to Minnesota this season. So Flynn will be the Timberwolves' leader this upcoming season. He could have a big rookie year. Here is my list for top 5 in voting.......

Blake Griffin
Johnny Flynn
Tyreke Evans
James Harden
Jordan Hill (Yes, believe it or not. I didn't put Stephen Curry. He could be a good player in the future.)

Most Improved Player
There are a lot of guys that have a chance in front of them to be the MIP this year. It could be Greg Oden, Anthony Randolph, Jordan Farmar, Michael Beasley, Ryan Gomes, or Rodney Stuckey. It just depends on how hard & good these guys play. And if they can help their team greatly. Oden could make Portland a fierce frontcourt, teaming with LaMarcus Aldridge, if he steps it up to the next level. Same with these other guys. Randolph could tremendously improve the Warriors, he has shown flashes of dominance from his summer league stint this summer. Farmar could prove he is the floor general for the defending champs if he plays well, and it would provide insurance for when Derek Fisher retires. Beasley could really grow up and change from this whole therapy experience stuff and give Dwyane Wade the great sidekick he wants and needs badly. And Stuckey could prove he is the Pistons' future man at the PG spot with a big season this year. Or maybe even the Pistons' other guard, Will Bynum, could have a breakout season and stamp his name in as Detroit's new guy to run the point. And here is one of the guys I think will have a good season. Many have not heard of him, but maybe you have if you play NBA Live 09 for PSP (It's the guy who is rated like 86 and turns into 93-94 if you play a longer dynasty). It's Josh McRoberts. He was buried on the bench in Indiana last year, and this offseason he gained like 20 lbs. of muscle, which should help him compete with the huge guys in the NBA. Check out his blog right here. He could be up there as well. Here are my top 5 in voting for next season......

Anthony Randolph
Greg Oden
Michael Beasley
Will Bynum
Ryan Gomes

Defensive Player of the Year
I posted in my last post what I learned about real defense, but this award usually just goes to the athletic guys, although Ben Wallace won back-to-back DPOY's a few years back. Dwight Howard won it last season. He doesn't have those defensive qualities such as Wallace, but the stats usually make the guys win in this category. So here are my predictions......

Tyson Chandler
Dwight Howard (yeah, athleticism makes him swat those shots and grab rebounds)
LeBron James (same as above, except he swats fastbreakers and occasionally swipes the ball from the opponent.)
Kevin Garnett
Gerald Wallace
Ron Artest

Sixth Man of the Year
Looks like Ben Gordon is coming off the bench for Detroit this year. He could be getting his second sixth man of the year award. Here is my list of predictions for this award......

Ben Gordon
Lamar Odom
Jason Terry
Manu Ginobili
Mike Miller

Coach of the Year
For this one, I'll just put my prediction. Guess what I'm thinking...... haha you might not agree with this one but it is a good chance it could happen.

Prediction: Flip Saunders, Washington Wizards

And.....my predictions for the All-NBA teams......

All-NBA team
C Dwight Howard
F Dirk Nowitzki
F LeBron James
G Kobe Bryant
G Dwyane Wade

All-NBA second team
C Tim Duncan
F Kevin Garnett
F Kevin Durant
G Brandon Roy
G Chris Paul

All-NBA third team
C Amare Stoudemire
F Chris Bosh
F Carmelo Anthony
G Gilbert Arenas
G Deron Williams

All-Defensive Team
C Dwight Howard
F Ty Chandler
F Kevin Garnett
G LeBron James
G Kobe Bryant

All-Defensive second team
C Marcus Camby
F Ron Artest
F Gerald Wallace
G Chauncey Billups
G Chris Paul

All-Rookie Team
C Jordan Hill
F Blake Griffin
F Earl Clark
G Tyreke Evans
G Johnny Flynn

All-Rookie Second Team
C Hasheem Thabeet
F Tyler Hansbrough
F DeMar DeRozan
G James Harden
G Stephen Curry

You need all the keys to succeed

2009-08-26T18:17:00.004-06:00

Ben Wallace's defense was one of the key reasons why Detroit won a title in '04

This last summer, (which ended about a week ago) I learned alot more about depth, defense, how teams win championships, contracts, salary cap..... all of that stuff. You really need all of the keys so you can win a championship.

Let's take the '04 Detroit Pistons for an example.

They raised some eyebrows when they signed Chauncey Billups in 2002 to a guaranteed 6 years, for $35 million. This was a guy who played for 5 different teams before joining the Pistons. He didn't have outstanding statistics, but the Pistons knew something that no other team really paid much attention to. They knew he was a true point guard that could help them. He really was a huge steal for the Pistons, for signing this future Finals MVP, for around 6 million anually. Rip Hamilton came from Washington in 2002 to play Detroit basketball, and Tayshaun Prince was drafted that same offseason. That took care of their backcourt and part of their frontcourt. They already had defensive-maniac Ben Wallace on the roster, then Rasheed Wallace was acquired from Atlanta during 03-04 to complete the puzzle. They won the championship that year. Behind point guard skills from Billups, shooting and one of the best off-ball performers from Hamilton, versatility and length at small forward from Prince, decent rebounding, scoring, and an average of 2.1 blocks per game from Rasheed Wallace, and, the one who made it all work by doing the dirty work of tough defense combining with athleticism and strength, which made his 6-10 frame a threat to all the big 7-foot centers in the league. No one will ever be as good defender as Big Ben. You could have Kevin Garnett up there, but no one had as much focus and strength as Wallace. When all these pieces were put together, the Pistons made a hard run to the Finals where they won a 4-1 series over heavy-favorite Los Angeles Lakers. The Pistons also had terrific depth, with Mehmet Okur, Darko Milicic, Elden Campbell, Lindsey Hunter, Bob Sura, Mike James, and Chucky Atkins contributing off the bench. The stats don't say anything, you have to see how hard the people play, and what they do for their team. If someone were to look at say, Dahntay Jones' stats, they would probably go "Ah, he sucks" or "Eh, nothing real special". But he helped the Denver Nuggets so much in 08-09 with their defense. They placed him on guards like Kobe Bryant to frustrate them and force them into taking bad shots. Indiana noticed this, and it's why Jones was signed to a 4-year, $11 million deal.

You have to really look at how the players are performing instead of just taking a glance and their stats and judging them by that. Marcin Gortat is another great example. Look at his stats and anyone would say he sucks. But, you have to look at how many minutes he is playing as well, and you have to actually watch the guy play. If he played more minutes than he did as a backup to Dwight Howard, which was a mere 12.6 minutes a game, then he could be a huge problem for opposing team's centers scoring-wise. Gortat can score pretty well sometimes, and can defend greatly, but he needs to be on a different team so he can really establish how good he really is. He just about became a Dallas Maverick until the Magic surprisingly matched the offer sheet. It really disappointed me. No, I am not a Mavs fan, but it would be fun to see how Gortat would turn out as a starting center on an elite team. I guess we will just have to wait and see if Gortat can really ever truly prove that he is the man. If I were him, I would be yelling at the front offices for matching a 5 year, $34 million contract to be a backup that plays 12 minutes per game. (One more note, he has 3.8 points and 4.5 rebound averages in just 12 minutes. If you multiplied and made him play around 36 minutes, you would get 11 points and 13.5 rebounds, plus a whole bunch of blocks, and Gortat is a guy who can defend huge centers with success. I would like to see this guy as a starter.) Yeah, but not all things work out like they are supposed to.

All right, and last thing about defense. Dwight Howard is not a defensive-minded guy. Neither is LeBron James or Josh Smith. It's the athleticism that gets them their blocks, their steals, their rebounds. Guys like Ben Wallace, Dahntay Jones, and Solomon Jones are underrated quite often, because of their stats. But they are the ones who have the true defensive qualitites and skills that is not all-athleticism and that stuff. You can count on LeBron to chase down fastbreakers to block shots. That's called athleticism, not straight up-hard nosed defense. Jones is the guy who sticks on his guy in backcourt and doesn't let him get to the basket and forces them to take low-percentage pull-up jumpers. That's real defense. That's what they teach you in rec-leagues, basketball camps, and AAU leagues. That's why you have to do all that "slide-slide-slide" stuff. That's what wins championships.

Depth also wins championships. Offense as well. The right guys that like eachother, so they can play their best. You need all of these things to win a championship. The Cavs had potential to win the title last year, but it didn't all work together right. They need a lockdown, defense-first guy that frustrates the opposition. The Cavs are mostly all just athleticism, and that is one of the biggest reasons why they dropped to the Magic in the conference finals, next to the issue of not having the right guy to muscle-up against Dwight Howard. Don't expect Shaq to "bring a ring to the King" in the 2010 finals, until Cleveland figures out what it really needs to get from it's players.

Iverson really close to deal with Bobcats

2009-08-22T13:18:00.007-06:00

AI will reunite with Larry Brown in Charlotte within a week

Finally, it looks as if Allen Iverson is joining a team. Yahoo Sports is reporting that Iverson will be a Charlotte Bobcat next season, the deal will be official this coming week. I like this deal. I also recall that I posted something about Iverson reuniting with Larry Brown in NC.

It is a good thing to do for the Bobcats, it will help their scoring go up a lot more (Charlotte was dead last in scoring for the 08-09 season), and it will help them sell tickets.

But, the one thing that will stand in the way of an easy deal is the whole money thing. The Bobcats are in a tangle involving money, and if Iverson really does want to play, then he might have to settle for the veterans minimum or something close to it.

Iverson for sure won't get the 40-42 minutes he had in his glory days. The Bobcats already have Ray Felton, D.J. Augustin, and Raja Bell in their rotation. This could be an issue, as well.

If he could have gotten a deal from Memphis, that would have been great. The only ones that would really take the most shots would be O.J. Mayo and Iverson. The Grizzlies really aren't very interested in Iverson anymore, however. But if he did get a deal from Memphis, it would be the best choice if he picked them to be his new team.

This deal with Charlotte could end up being a good move for them, or it could end up being a horrible move. It really depends on Iverson's attitude. If he can let Bell, Augustin, and Felton play their minutes and be happy about playing for this organization, it will turn out to be a good experiment. If he is frustrated about them getting the minutes they are going to get, and won't cooperate with his teammates and coaches, then this whole thing is going to blow up and Charlotte could lose the players that they need for the future.

Well, there is one thing that could support the signing of Iverson. If they placed Raja Bell on the trading block, then Iverson could play 34-38 minutes a game at shooting guard and then a few more at point guard. Iverson still can be a very dangerous player, he just needs the right playing time. He has already passed his prime, but the 34-year old still has a lot of talent left in him. Him paired up with Tyson Chandler, maybe Raja Bell, and Gerald Wallace make the Bobcats a great defensive team. They just need the offense to be completed, which is what Iverson can also provide. If I was part of the Bobcats organization, I would grab Allen Iverson and then trade away Raja Bell and his expiring contract, which would allow a team to have additional cap space in the offseason of 2010. But, obviously, I am not part of their team, so we are gonna have to wait and see what happens.

Preseason AP Top 25

2009-08-22T11:04:00.007-06:00

Tim Tebow's Gators are ranked #1 in the Preseason AP Top 25

I just saw this, and since I haven't posted about college football for a really long time, I'll post the Preseason AP top 25.

1 Florida Gators

2 Texas Longhorns

3 Oklahoma Sooners

4 USC Trojans

5 Alabama Crimson Tide

6 Ohio State Buckeyes

7 Virginia Tech Hokies

8 Mississippi Rebels

9 Oklahoma State Cowboys

10 Penn State Nittany Lions

11 LSU Tigers

12 California Golden Bears

13 Georgia Bulldogs

14 Boise State Broncos

15 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

16 Oregon Ducks

17 TCU Horned Frogs

18 Florida State Seminoles

19 Utah Utes

20 BYU Cougars

21 North Carolina Tar Heels

22 Iowa Hawkeyes

23 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

24 Nebraska Corn Huskers

25 Kansas Jayhawks

Looks like BYU will play against a #3 team in Oklahoma at the start of the season. I'll have my fingers crossed that they will win this game and really prove that they can be a top 10 team. They need to get a better defense, though. That is one problem that could hold them back against last year's Heisman winner Sam Bradford and one of the best offenses in the nation. My prediction: Oklahoma 42, BYU 28. It might be too early to tell, but Oklahoma is a great team. I would love to see BYU win, but it is a pretty slim chance. I'll have my fingers crossed, though.

Note: Here is a shoutout to the Pleasant Grove Vikings, who beat Timpview 16-10!!! Go Vikings!!

The teams looking up

2009-08-14T21:54:00.002-06:00

The Timberwolves are doing a pretty good job of remaking their team

There are seperate groups in the NBA:

The ones with all the stars and greats that add more and more talent every year to boost their chance at winning a championship. That includes:
San Antonio Spurs
LA Lakers
Boston Celtics
Cleveland Cavaliers
Orlando Magic
Dallas Mavericks
Portland Trail Blazers

The ones that are pretty much stuck in the middle, the ones with some good talent and a couple of all-stars. The ones that have the potential to play hard against better teams. This includes:
Denver Nuggets
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Atlanta Hawks
Washington Wizards
Detroit Pistons
New Orleans Hornets

The ones that could be middle-class teams, but to do so need to step up their game a little bit more. This includes:
Chicago Bulls
Philadelphia 76ers
Miami Heat
Phoenix Suns

The ones that started over a year or 2 back, and are looking to just keep getting better and better so they can catch up to the other teams. This includes:
Indiana Pacers
LA Clippers
Golden State Warriors
Oklahoma City Thunder

And then there are those other ones.....the ones that either just barely started over, or the ones that just plain out suck and not successful at all. This includes:
New Jersey Nets
Minnesota Timberwolves
Memphis Grizzlies
Sacramento Kings
Milwaukee Bucks
Houston Rockets
New York Knicks
Charlotte Bobcats

And these guys are the ones that I mainly wanted to talk about.

These last guys are in for a whole lot of losing in the future. New Jersey has gradually given away all of it's franchise faces, from Jason Kidd to Richard Jefferson, and recently Vince Carter. They grabbed a bunch of new faces and are starting over with Devin Harris and Yi Jianlian as the faces of the franchise. Around them is lots of young talent that is still growing. Like Brook Lopez, Terrence Williams, Sean Williams, Courtney Lee, Josh Boone, Chris Douglas-Roberts, etc. plus a couple veterans like Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, Eduardo Najera, Keyon Dooling, Jarvis Hayes, but none of them is really a star player. Harris and Jianlian could be future all-stars, maybe even Lopez, but the rest are basically just have games like the bench guys for the championship contending teams. It'll be fun to watch the Nets, but they are in for 3 or 4 losing seasons in the future.

The Timberwolves are in a similar position like the Nets, they gave up their superstar Kevin Garnett to the Celtics back in '07. The longest tenured Timberwolf was drafted in 2007, and that is forward Corey Brewer. And, only 5 players remain from last year's roster. That would be Brewer, Brian Cardinal, Ryan Gomes, Al Jefferson, and with free agent forward Rodney Carney on hold. Jason Collins probably isn't returning as a T-Wolf next season. They could actually be pretty good this season, with future point guard Johnny Flynn excited to play NBA ball, Al Jefferson coming back alot healthier than last year, getting Kurt Rambis as their head coach, Brewer coming off an injured season, Kevin Love going into his sophomore season, and they have veteran help from Chucky Atkins, Darius Songaila, and Damien Wilkins. It actually doesn't look too bad for them, even though they won't make the playoffs for a while because of the tough Western Conference (Phoenix didn't make the playoffs last year and they won 46 games), these guys will be up from last season's 24 wins.

The Grizzlies and Timberwolves, in my opinion, are the ones who are on the top of this class of bad teams. They have picked up key assets that will help them in future years, and just need a few more pieces to complete the puzzle. Memphis has O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay as it's big name players. With Mike Conley at point guard, Pau Gasol's brother Marc Gasol and #2 pick Hasheem Thabeet at center, Darrell Arthur and Zach Randolph at PF, Gay and draft pick Sam Young at SF, Mayo at SG (they need more depth there), and have backups for Conley like Marcus Williams and Marko Jaric, and Jason Williams could be signed to a contract soon. It looks good for Memphis. They have good young guys on their roster that are steadily improving, and if they just get the right pieces, they will be a decent playoff team, or maybe even contenders. But, like the T-Wolves, they won't be a playoff team quite yet, until they pick up the right guys throughout the offseason.

The Kings made a good job in drafting Memphis guard Tyreke Evans. He is happy and ready to play for Sacramento, and is a defensive minded combo guard that can drive to the basket and draw contact some of the time. The Kings still have many, many more years until they will make a playoff spot, but they are doing a good job of picking up the right guys. They also grabbed Omri Casspi and Jon Brockman in the draft, two guys that will be hard-working bench players for the Kings, and traded for Spain guard Sergio Rodriguez, while also signing F Sean May. They aren't big names talent-wise, but they will contribute to Sacramento well off the bench. Evans and Kevin Martin are the ones who are most likely to do the most for the Kings, with Andres Nocioni, Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson, and Francisco Garcia the ones who will also help. The Kings are not a very good team, but they just need to add more and more players and get rid of the other ones, and just keep going and going, and eventually, they will be a good team again.

The Bucks weren't too great last season, and they could get either better or worse this season, I would say worse. They lost two of their main go-to players in Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva to San Antonio and Detroit. They are going to lose Ramon Sessions to either Los Angeles Clippers or New York. But, they got two guys that will help them in the future in Hakim Warrick and draft pick Brandon Jennings. They have star Michael Redd, a great 3 point shooter. Kurt Thomas was told he was there to help with the younger players, and Amir Johnson could be the starting PF. Small Forwards Joe Alexander and Luke Mbah a Moute have the potential to be pretty good players, as does center Andrew Bogut. Luke Ridnour, Charlie Bell, and Sonny Meeks also could contribute well for Milwaukee. They are still a longshot to make the playoffs, but have some decent guys. They just need to get that superstar to get them to playoff mode. They could be getting him soon.

The Rockets would be a really good team if injuries didn't exist, but unfortunately for them, they do. Superstars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady are both injured. They have a terrific roster, but they need Yao & McGrady to get them back to contending mode. They could be an ok team this year, but I know that they will be extremely lucky to make the playoffs. They have talent in Trevor Ariza, Luis Scola, David Andersen, Aaron Brooks, Shane Battier, Carl Landry, and Kyle Lowry, but most likely won't make the playoffs with that team. Them with their two superstars, would make them an amazing team. But unless a miracle occurs and they aren't injured anymore, they could have a few years of losing ahead of them.

The Knicks have been pretty quiet this offseason, in hopes of picking up a superstar in the offseason of 2010 like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, etc. They haven't made a move with free agent forward David Lee yet, and are close to re-signing Nate Robinson to a 1 year deal. I think they should hurry and grab Ramon Sessions before the Clippers do, so he and rookie Jordan Hill could help the person they are going to sign in 2010, to get the Knicks to the playoffs quickly. Danilo Galinari will also be one of the guys they need, and Darko Milicic & #29 pick Toney Douglas are potential contributing players. But, the Knicks shouldn't be having really high expectations like signing LeBron or Bosh. LeBron is most likely to stay with Cleveland, and Bosh laughed at the idea of joining New York. They will probably get a big name player, but it won't be a humongous superstar like James.

And, the Bobcats have the potential to be a decent, but not playoff, team. Gerald Wallace, Tyson Chandler, Boris Diaw and soon-to-be signed Ray Felton will help the Bobcats be a pretty good team. Outlined by Texas point guard D.J. Augustin, defensive pest Raja Bell, draft picks Gerald Henderson and Derrick Brown, big man DeSagana Diop, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Alexis Ajinca, these guys are not bad, at all, really. With Larry Brown as coach, these guys won't be a very bad team.

Ok, and with all the hype of the 2010 offseason, I will give a brief list of the great players and good role guys (with the biggest name players in bold) who could be on new teams next season. (Ignoring the "restricted" or "ETO" or whatever title)

Joe Johnson, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Eddie House, Raja Bell, Tyson Chandler, Vladimir Radmanovic, Brad Miller, John Salmons, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, Drew Gooden, Josh Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Kenyon Martin, Kwame Brown, Ben Wallace, Chris Wilcox, Anthony Morrow, Kelenna Azubuike, Carl Landry, Luis Scola, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming (might not be able to become one due to injury), T.J. Ford, Rasual Butler, Marcus Camby, Sebastian Telfair, Ricky Davis, Adam Morrison, Jordan Farmar, Kobe Bryant (staying with Lakers for sure), Derek Fisher, Rudy Gay, Mario Chalmers, Quentin Richardson, Jermaine O'Neal, Udonis Haslem, Dwyane Wade, Michael Redd, Luke Ridnour, Rafer Alston, Josh Boone, Devin Brown, Antonio Daniels, Peja Stojakovic, Eddy Curry, Chris Duhon, Al Harrington, Larry Hughes, Darko Milicic, Shaun Livingston, J.J. Redick, Matt Barnes, Willie Green, Jason Kapono, Channing Frye, Grant Hill, Amare Stoudemire, LaMarcus Aldridge (until he gets his contract extension), Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake, Michael Finley, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Chris Bosh, Ronnie Brewer, Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Matt Harpring, Randy Foye, Mike Miller, and DeShawn Stevenson. Ok, that wasn't very brief, but it's the guys who, if they choose to be signed by another team, would be probably the ones that are wanted.

As you can see, it will be a crazy offseason. Almost all those players will be in the free agent pool next year, with the others choosing to stay with their teams.

Early NBA standings predictions

2009-08-11T13:01:00.000-06:00

I see these two teamsn back in the Finals in 2010

Looks like it's that time of year again when the NBA teams are finishing up most of their offseason moves, so here are some early predictions of how the standings are going to end at the end of 09-10 based on the teams' offseason moves.

West
1 Los Angeles Lakers
It was disappointing to see Trevor Ariza go to the Rockets, but the Lakers have even better potential now, because they filled his spot with forward Ron Artest. Artest and Lakers' recently re-signed sixth man Lamar Odom have known eachother since high school, and Odom and coach Phil Jackson should be able to make sure he doesn't blow up anytime during the season. Star Kobe Bryant may be able to help as well. It kind of reminds me of an old Chicago Bulls team that had Jackson as coach, with superstar Michael Jordan (who is now Kobe), sidekick Scottie Pippen (who could be either Pau Gasol or Lamar Odom), and maniac Dennis Rodman (who is now Ron Artest). Throw in some other key guys like Andrew Bynum, Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar, etc. and this could be one of the greatest Lakers teams in history.

2 San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs did an amazing job this offseason of pulling in key guys that will help them alot next season. They grabbed Richard Jefferson in a trade from Milwaukee, and then signed veteran forward Antonio McDyess away from Detroit, and got a steal out of DeJuan Blair in the draft early second round. They should really get alot farther than last season, when they got knocked out of the first round in the playoffs by Dallas. I see LA and San Antonio knocking heads against eachother next June in the Western Conference Finals.

3 Dallas Mavericks
Another Texas team that made some good moves is Dallas. They snatched Shawn Marion and Kris Humphries in a trade, and signed veteran forwards Tim Thomas and Drew Gooden. All these guys smashed together have a chance at a Western Conference title, or maybe even a Championship. These three teams look the most successful to grab the WC title next year.

4 Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers just gave star Brandon Roy a contract extension for 5 years, and LaMarcus Aldridge is getting one soon. They are terrific moves for Portland to lock up their superstars for the future so they can continue to be successful. Greg Oden looks to be a little better than his rookie season, but his offensive game still needs to be established to make him a great player that the Blazers want to hold on to. This offseason, they missed out on Hedo Turkoglu, Paul Millsap, and David Lee, but then managed to grab Andre Miller away from the Sixers, which was a good and cheap move for them. The Blazers are my prediction for 4th in the West.

5 Denver Nuggets
J.R. Smith is still in a bit of a tangle after going to jail for killing his friend in a car wreck, and could hit a depression and maybe decide not to play. It could happen, but the Nuggets should be hoping it doesn't happen. If it does, it looks like former Piston Arron Afflalo is going to be getting lots more playing time. And the Nuggets could be in for a little bit of a fall from last season. But watch for them to still make the playoffs, because of Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, Nene, and all those guys, so it still looks good for Denver.

6 New Orleans Hornets
I believe the acquiring of Emeka Okafor will help the Hornets & Okafor both. Okafor will be able to play beside a true point guard, Chris Paul, and next to David West inside. It looks good for both Okafor and the Hornets because he has a more established offensive game than Ty Chandler, though Chandler is for sure the better defender. NOH is in for a decent season.

7 Utah Jazz
It was a good thing the Jazz signed their future starting PF Paul Millsap, otherwise they were going to have to depend on Carlos Boozer for a season. Boozer expects to be traded before the season starts, and that's what should happen. They just need to send him away right now, even if they are only getting Udonis Haslem in return, they just need to get him off the salary books. If that happens, Millsap will be able to become a better player with more playing time, which is a huge upside for Utah. I see them finishing 7th in the West.

8 Los Angeles Clippers
The Clips have potential to be good, they did last year as well, but injuries pretty much ruined that. But this season, they have number 1 pick Blake Griffin from the draft this year, added with Baron Davis, Marcus Camby, Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, and Al Thornton, looks actually pretty decent, especially for a team called the Los Angeles Clippers. They have made so many draft mistakes, like taking Yaroslav Korolev (when Danny Granger, David Lee, and Linas Kleiza were still available), Chris Wilcox (Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Luis Scola, Tayshaun Prince were available), Melvin Ely (same draft as Wilcox), Michael Olowakandi (over Mike Bibby, Antawn Jamison, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, Al Harrington, and Rashard Lewis), Brian Skinner (over Harrington & Lewis), Maurice Taylor (well the picks after him are pretty week, but Stephen Jackson, Bobby Jackson, and Anthony Johnson were all available), Lorenzen Wright (instead of KOBE BRYANT, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Derek Fisher, oh wow that was a bad pick), and many other bad picks all in the first round in the past. They finally have found the guy they need, big man Blake Griffin. He should really help the Clippers this season to make the playoffs.

East

1 Boston Celtics
I see Boston finishing 1st in the East this year, and going to the Finals with the Lakers to fight for a title. Rasheed Wallace was a spectacularly cheap pickup, and they also grabbed Shelden Williams, and are looking to re-sign Glen Davis and snatch Marquis Daniels from Indiana. The loss of Leon Powe wasn't very large, mostly because Wallace and Williams will do a ton more than just fill that role. I'm looking at Boston to be the Best of the East.

2 Orlando Magic
The defending Eastern Conference champions did a great job of filling the void that Hedo Turkoglu left after joining Toronto, by getting dunk maniac Vince Carter from New Jersey, and getting Marcin Gortat re-signed, plus Dallas big man Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes. They more than just filled the void, they now have so many possible lineups they can use, which is a great thing for a team to have. I will look for Orlando to go second in the East next season.

3 Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs are also another have-team that added even more talent. They added Shaquille O'Neal, Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker, Leon Powe, and Darnell Jackson. Great pick-ups, but Shaq is getting older. He still has some left in the tank, but he won't be an amazing superstar who posterizes Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler, and Amare Stoudemire, or the one who swats away Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, or Carmelo Anthony's shots out of bounds. He will mainly just be a guy that can muscle up with big men, throw in a few hard dunks, and score around 17 points and 9 rebounds a game. LeBron is the star of the show in the Cleveland, and Shaq will be his sidekick. It will be fun to watch them play together, but I really don't think they'll bring a title to Cleveland this year. I am looking for them to go 3rd in the Eastern Conference.

4 Washington Wizards
They will be the 4 seed in the East when Gilbert Arenas gets healthy. He really is the player that turns them around and makes them a contending team. They have Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, but they need Arenas to complete the puzzle, that's what makes them good. They also have some other guys that will compliment the Wiz, such as Andray Blatche, Brendan Haywood, Mike James, and DeShawn Stevenson, plus newly acquired players Mike Miller and Randy Foye. The Wizards have potential to be pretty good this season, they just need to play out that potential and make it happen.

5 Toronto Raptors
The Raptors and Wizards are both teams that look to make a big turnaround from last season. I see them going 4 and 5 in the East next season, mainly because of their big offseason pick-ups. Washington gave up their lottery pick (who ended up being Ricky Rubio) for two great role players in Miller and Foye, while Toronto drafted DeMar DeRozan from USC, and signed Hedo Turkoglu away from Orlando. They also grabbed center Rasho Nesterovic and point guard Jarrett Jack from Indiana, acquired Antoine Wright from Dallas, and Marco Belinelli from Golden State. With a roster including Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, Hedo Turkoglu, DeRozan, Jack, Jose Caledron, Antoine Wright, and all of those other guys, it is easy to look at them as a #5 or #6seed in the East.

6 Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks and Raptors could be swapped, but it just depends on how hard each team plays every game, and I can see Toronto playing harder than Atlanta. But the Hawks still could finish 5th, or maybe even 4th. They have the potential to be that good. Though they need much more depth at the center & power forward slots, the backcourt looks pretty good, after the Hawks acquired both Jamal Crawford and Wake Forest star guard Jeff Teague this offseason. It just adds to Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, and Maurice Evans. They have a pretty good backcourt, they just need to work on the frountcourt a little more. They have Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, Zaza Pachulia, Al Horford, and Randolph Morris (who most likely will get cut in training camp), all in the 2 forward spots and the center spot. That's a dangerously thin frontcourt. They need to get that taken care of, and then they can actually make a push to make the 4th, 5th, or 6th spot. If they leave it as is, they might not even make the playoffs.

7 Detroit Pistons
The Pistons probably spent a little too much on the signings of Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon, but they will help the Pistons. Detroit lost most of it's roster, and only Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton remain from their 2004 NBA Championship. Well, actually they signed center Ben Wallace, who was a big key of Detroit's championship run with his ability to muscle up with huge guys, grab rebounds, and swat away shots. He won't be in the same hardworking form as he was in '04, but I still think he can help contribute to the Pistons. Rodney Stuckey could be their future point guard, but the Pistons might have both Ben Gordon and Rip Hamilton in the lineup, which means Stuckey is coming off the bench. I like that idea better, so it doesn't cause any chemistry problems with Hamilton & Gordon. But, Gordon played 6th man in his rookie season and was the only rookie ever to get 6th man of the year. So, that could also work out, plus give Stuckey time to turn into a better team player. But for now we will just have to watch and see what happens with Detroit.

8 Indiana Pacers
This final 8th seed spot could go to either Indiana or Philadelphia, and in my opinion it depends almost entirely on the case of Elton Brand. If he can come back and return to his amazing and dominant form, then this spot goes to Philadelphia (or maybe even the 7th one). But, for now I am going to go with Indiana to claim this place. They made good decisions in picking up defensive-minded players like Dahntay Jones, Earl Watson, and Solomon Jones. They could have made the playoffs last year, but injury struck them. Danny Granger, T.J. Ford, Mike Dunleavy, and Troy Murphy all were injured at one point in the season. But if they can all stay healthy, the Pacers could be pretty successful. The draft pick-ups of Tyler Hansbrough and A.J. Price were also strong, and will help them. I'd like to watch this team play next season.

Early Before-Season Rookie Rankings

2009-07-26T16:17:00.004-06:00

Johnny Flynn is Minnesota's point guard of the future, they should stop thinking about Ricky Rubio

These are just early predictions, but these guys look like they are the heads of this year's draft class.

1. Blake Griffin, LA Clippers
The Clippers made room for Griffin at power forward by trading Zach Randolph to Memphis. Then they had to see if what they did was right. And they were. Griffin dominated the summer league (19.2 points, 10.8 rebounds), and looks like a good fit with the Clippers. He is playing with a good group headed by Marcus Camby, Eric Gordon, and Baron Davis, so if you place him in the group, it makes the Clippers a whole lot better.

2. Johnny Flynn, Minnesota Timberwolves
Why should Minnesota worry about getting Ricky Rubio, when they have their point guard of the future in Flynn? He averaged 15 points and 7.4 assists. If Rubio was in there, he would have averages of 3 points and 5 assists. They should just forget about Rubio for now, and think of Flynn as their future star point guard. This guy will make a mark on this team, but because they gave Washington Mike Miller and Randy Foye for the pick that they drafted Rubio with, they aren't going to get much farther than last year. They have the potential to be really good in a while from now, though. And Flynn will be a big part of that.

3. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings
Evans is quick, and has a defensive mindset, which makes him as good as he is. The problem is, we are going to have to find out if he is going to be the team's point guard, or is he going to take over star player Kevin Martin's role at shooting guard? I doubt they are going to place him over Martin, so it looks like he is going to be the Kings' new point guard. He sure did alot in the summer league to prove that he was going to be a successful player. He averaged 19.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. The game that really highlighted his time in the summer league was against Milwaukee, when he scored 33 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists, while getting to the line 19 times. I think he, Griffin, or Flynn have the best shot at getting rookie of the year.

4. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks
He played well in the summer league, but he still is a big question mark. I think he'll be able to be an effective PG for the Bucks if he keeps his mouth shut. Otherwise, someone is going to get mad and, eventually, knock him on his butt to shut him up. He had a pass-first mentality, averaging 8.2 assists, while also posting 14.6 points. Another headline he had was 3.6 steals, while leading the Bucks to a 4-1 record. But I think if he can just humble himself, he will be a much better player that more people will become a fan of.

5. Tyler Hansbrough, Indiana Pacers
Hansbrough played Orlando summer league ball, but proved that he was athletic enough to post up, hit jump shots, and get to the line, while also proving that he can step out and hit the three every once in a while. In Orlando, he averaged 18.2 points and 5.6 rebounds. A large thing that helps Hansbrough be as good as he is, is Pacers center Roy Hibbert. With the 7-2, 278 pound Pacer clogging up the inside, Hansbrough was found open outside the perimeter, where he knocked down threes.

Other noteworthy players in the summer league:
James Harden, OKC Thunder
Austin Daye, Detroit Pistons
Ty Lawson, Denver Nuggets
Dante Cunningham, Portland Blazers
Marcus Thornton, New Orleans Hornets
DeJuan Blair, San Antonio Spurs
Rodrigue Beaubois, Dallas Mavericks
DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors
Jordan Hill, New York Knicks
Earl Clark, Phoenix Suns

Players that disappointed:
Hasheem Thabeet, Memphis Grizzlies (is not strong offensively, as expected)
Stephen Curry, GS Warriors (averaged 2.4 steals and 22.7 points, but had horrible shooting, half noteworthy, half disappointing)
Lee Cummard, Phoenix Suns (didn't get much playing time, so obviously didn't have a standout time)

Jumping on the Thunder bandwagon

2009-07-19T17:39:00.004-06:00

James Harden, the #3 pick in the draft this year by the Thunder

I know, I know. People don't like when other people just go and become a fan of another team. But, this team has only been around a year. So, I am now a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Kevin Durant is a terrific player and future superstar, finishing just his 2nd year. They grabbed Jeff Green in the same draft as Durant, a great pair. The Next year they got their future point guard, Russell Westbrook. And this year they grabbed James Harden, who is going to be a great team player for OKC. Throw in some veterans like Nenad Krstic, Thabo Sefolosha, Nick Collison, and D.J. White, and you got yourself a great group of young players that will eventually be a championship contender. They will lose some veterans, and then some other ones will move in, but once Durant, Westbrook, Green, and Harden all squish together and become used to eachother and more comfortable, then this could be a team to watch out for.

This might be a stupid thing to post, but I am just saying to watch this team. And I am a fan of them.

More offseason craziness

2009-07-10T15:38:00.005-06:00

Carlos Boozer could be going to Chicago

Here are some of the things that happened today. Or could happen soon.

1. The Suns re-signed 36 year old forward Grant Hill, and Blazers forward Channing Frye agreed to sign with Phoenix.

2. After the Dallas Mavericks picked up Shawn Marion and Kris Humphries in a trade with Toronto, forward Brandon Bass would probably lose his role in Dallas, so he signed a 4-year, $18 million contract with the Orlando Magic. He averaged 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 19.4 minutes a game last season with Dallas backing up Dirk Nowitzki, and is most likely to start with the Magic at power forward. The Magic have already lost two of their keys that brought them to the Finals, Hedo Turkoglu to Toronto, and back-up center Marcin Gortat to the Mavs.

3. A big multi-team trade is in the making that includes the Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers, and Chicago Bulls. The Jazz would send Carlos Boozer to Chicago, the Bulls would send point guard Kirk Hinrich to Portland and Chicago's Tyrus Thomas to Utah. The Blazers are most likely to include Jerryd Bayless, Travis Outlaw, Martell Webster, and Steve Blake in this big mix if the trade happens. It would clear up cap space for Utah so they can re-sign rising star power forward Paul Millsap, who is a restricted free agent right now, and it would give them another player on the rise in Tyrus Thomas. The Blazers would get a point guard that they need to run beside Brandon Roy. And Chicago would get the post presence they wanted by acquiring Boozer. Throw in Bayless and all those other guys, and it would be a good trade for all the teams involved. I tried a trade on ESPN that would send Boozer and Bayless to Chicago, Hinrich to Portland, and Thomas and Travis Outlaw to Utah. All of them except Hinrich have expiring contracts after this season, so if they want extra space for the 2010 offseason, that would be another bright spot about this trade.

New Teams

2009-07-08T13:04:00.010-06:00

Shawn Marion and Hedo Turkoglu already have found new teams this offseason.

Hedo Turkoglu pulled a Carlos Boozer and went with the Raptors instead of the Blazers. Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza swapped teams. Birdman signed a 5 year contract with Denver. Jason Kidd decided to stay with Dallas instead of running off to New York. Mike Bibby ended up staying with the Hawks. The Mavs also signed Quinton Ross. Rasheed Wallace joined the Celtics. Antonio McDyess went with San Antonio instead of Detroit. And many more things have happened or could happen.

Also, Shawn Marion was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in a 4-team trade.
At first, the Mavs and Raptors needed one more team to make the trade work. So, they got Memphis. And Memphis decided that they were going to get an Eastern Conference team to join in on it. It looked like Chicago would be involved to send veteran forward Tim Thomas to Dallas, but they pulled out of the trade, and the Orlando Magic came into the trade. This is how it all looked.

Dallas Mavericks get: F Shawn Marion, F Kris Humphries, G Greg Buckner, F/C Nathan Jawai, and cash considerations from Toronto.

Toronto Raptors get: F Devean George, G Antoine Wright.

Memphis Grizzlies get: F Jerry Stackhouse, Toronto future second round draft pick.

And Orlando got some extra cash, and also lost one of their key players, Hedo Turkoglu, to the Raptors.

Pistons sign Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva

2009-07-01T20:39:00.003-06:00

The Pistons picked up both Ben Gordon and Charlie Villaneva

There is lots of hype this offseason, but mostly it's just for the better teams who can contend for a championship. Such as Boston, Cleveland, LA, etc. I'll talk about some of those teams in this post and who they might pick up this offseason.

DETROIT PISTONS
They have already made moves by offering Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, who were teammates at UConn for a year, today. Gordon agreed to a 5 year- $55 million deal, and Villanueva also accepted a 5 year deal, worth around $35-$40 million. The Pistons are also pushing to re-sign forward Antonio McDyess. They are losing both Rasheed Wallace and Allen Iverson this year to free agency, so it looks like they are going to fill in those cracks as best as they can, though Iverson didn't do much for Detroit in his 1 year stint. But the signing of Gordon could also mean that shooting guard Rip Hamilton could be parting ways with the Pistons. They might trade him to a team like Utah for Carlos Boozer, or they could try and get center Ty Chandler from New Orleans, or Chris Kaman from the Clippers. They need a low post presence, and each of those guys could fill it.

BOSTON CELTICS
They sent the Big Three and coach Doc Rivers to meet with Rasheed Wallace, because they think he can be the guy that helps get them championship #18. They are also targeting veteran Grant Hill as a guy they might get. It looks like Boston will be paying a whole lot of luxury tax, but it could pay off and Boston could run away with another championship before the Big Three wear off. Wallace is also being pursued by Cleveland, Orlando, Dallas, and San Antonio. Everyone thinks they are going to win a championship this year. I say if the Celtics manage to pick up Wallace, 2010 is their year. Picking up both Rasheed and Hill would be even better, if they can do this, I am probably predicting Boston as 2010's champion. But, hey, LA could win it again too. ;)

HOUSTON ROCKETS
The Rockets are in trouble. Yao Ming is facing a career-threatening injury, and Tracy McGrady will miss most of next season. And if they don't pick up Ron Artest, it's going to make things a whole lot worse. He is a free agent this offseason, and they need him. They probably will take him, and then try and use their mid-level exception on Orlando backup center Marcin Gortat. It could get them to the playoffs if it works out, but if it doesn't, they get a ticket to the draft lottery next year. If they manage to snatch Gortat and re-sign Artest, and combine with point guard Aaron Brooks, Shane Battier, Luis Scola, and bench guys like Carl Landry and newly-acquired rookies Chase Budinger and Jermaine Taylor, it can turn out pretty well. I would like to see all those guys working with eachother next season and see what they can do.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER & UTAH JAZZ
They want Utah Jazz power forward Paul Millsap alot, and if they make a huge offer to him that Utah can't match, the Jazz are in trouble. But, I think they should let him go back to Utah for a while and see how Jeff Green turns out. If the Thunder do end up getting Millsap, Utah forward Carlos Boozer is the one to blame. He thinks he has to get this huge deal, and then figures out that no team would be willing to pay him as much as he wants. So he stays with Utah and now they have to pay him like $12 million next season. Come on Boozer, you suck. I'm sorry, but it is true. He does not work at all for Utah anymore. He is lazy and slow. He can't play defense, even with his 6-9, 266 lbs. body. Sure, he can score a little and can bang up on the boards, but seriously, if you can do that, then why not swat a couple shots?

NEW YORK KNICKS & DALLAS MAVERICKS
The Knicks and Mavericks look like the people in the front of the line to sign 36-year old point guard Jason Kidd. In my opinion, Kidd isn't the best point guard in the free agent pool this year. The Knicks, if they are expecting to get LeBron James, shouldn't be wasting time and money on Kidd. He could be out of the league pretty soon. They should be just focusing on getting David Lee and Nate Robinson to compliment one of the stars they might possibly get in 2010's offseason. Dallas is probably re-signing Kidd. They should leave it at that and not try and get him. They will regret it in the future if they do it. It was already reported that Dallas offered Kidd a 3 year deal, so New York shouldn't have put that much thought into it.

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
The Blazers could also be interested in Kidd, but shouldn't be. Jerryd Bayless looks pretty promising, and Steve Blake is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Patrick Mills could also be successful on this roster as another back up PG. Plus, the Blazers have most of their interest in signing forward Hedo Turkoglu, but he will only work on that roster if they run the same plays that Stan Van Gundy ran with him on there. It is what makes Turkoglu as good as he is. It is what made Orlando get to the Finals. If Portland signs Turkoglu, then they are going to have to run those plays that gets him really involved. And the Blazers can be championship contenders next season.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Lamar Odom looks like he is going to be in a Laker uniform next season, but swingman Trevor Ariza is leaning toward signing with another team. Portland could be getting him, and Toronto also could get him, because they can pay more than the mid-level exception. The Lakers won't pay any more than their $5.6 million mid-level exception to get him. I think Ariza should just take that and stay with the Lakers if he wants to continue to be successful. If Toronto is losing Shawn Marion this season, and star Chris Bosh next season, then Ariza will be in a losing hole if he does sign with the Raptors. Other teams that are interested in him include Houston, Cleveland, and the Los Angeles Clippers.

LA CLIPPERS & MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
Zach Randolph is going to Memphis. Accourding to sources, the Clippers dealt him to Memphis for recently-acquired forward Quentin Richardson. The Clippers most likely sent him there to open up a starting spot for #1 pick Blake Griffin. Randolph was acquired from New York last November to fill the void that star power forward Elton Brand left when he signed with Philadelphia in the summer of '08. Richardson was traded from New York to Memphis on draft night for center Darko Milicic. Now he is re-joining the team that drafted him in 2000. One of his most successful years was with the Clippers in the 03-04 season, when he averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 rebounds, and shot .352 from the perimeter.

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
A Larry Brown-Allen Iverson reunion could be in the making. Iverson could dramatically improve Charlotte's offense, and Brown has been successful with Iverson before. They were both part of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001 and managed to make it to the NBA Finals before getting knocked out by the LA Lakers. If these two reunite, it could get the Bobcats alot farther than they went this past season.

Draft could be strong, or weak, the players determine

2009-06-30T14:19:00.006-06:00

In my opinion, I think this could be the worst draft class ever, worse than 2001. But, it could also turn out to be good. The players are the ones who decide how hard they play, and how good they are. Here are some of my predictions.

1. Blake Griffin will be a good fit at PF for the Clips for a while, but he probably won't get rookie of the year. He will just play a big role on this team.

2. Hasheem Thabeet won't develop into a strong offensive player for 3 or 4 years, but he will be a terrific defensive presence for Memphis. That's what the Grizzlies need- a big shot blocker.

3. I think that James Harden, Nenad Krstic, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Jeff Green is a decent lineup. Harden will help get the Thunder farther, but they won't be in the playoffs for a long time.

4. Tyreke Evans is the one who I think will be most successful out of this class. He is a guard. He could play point guard for Sacramento, because their star (Kevin Martin) is occupying shooting guard. He is a pretty good offensive player, but his defense is what won the hearts of the Kings. Decent dribbler too. Expect him to be a good player.

5. Ricky Rubio sucks. I said it. He should have gone like #50. He is not a scorer at all. He doesn't even get many assists. He averaged 10.2 points and 3.9 assists in 39 games in the 07-08 season with Badalona. That was his best season. And he goes #5? Come on. Even if he is just 18 or whatever, that sucks.

6. Johnny Flynn is a much better pick than Rubio. I think they should keep Flynn and trade Rubio if teams want him. They will give Minnesota a much better player than Rubio is going to be, and it will get the T-Wolves out of this drama crap coming from the 18 year old Spainiard.

7. Stephen Curry is going to be a great player, just like Evans. He led the NCAA in scoring, and will probably average around 15-17 points in his first season as a Warrior.

8. Jordan Hill will be a good role player behind whoever the Knicks will sign in the 2010 offseason. It could be LeBron, Wade, Melo, Bosh, there are a bunch of possibilities. His strengths are scoring and rebounding.

9. I think that DeMar DeRozan should have stayed in college a little bit longer, to step up his game. He is the most athletic player in the draft this year, but won't be starting for Toronto.

10. Brandon Jennings is the 2nd most overrated player in this draft, behind Rubio. He is actually pretty good, but shouldn't have been a lottery pick. He has already gotten himself into a bit of trouble, and he is too confident about himself. He will learn to shut his mouth later on in his career, and better grow up, or he'll get sent back to Europe.

11. The Nets picked up the right guy to fill in Vince Carter. Terrence Williams and Earl Clark were great for Louisville, and that's why they got as far as they did in the NCAA tournament. Williams will fill Carter's role pretty well. He won't be as good as him, but he will do decently.

12. It was funny when they were saying that a North Carolina management (Michael Jordan and Larry Brown) would pick a Duke kid (Gerald Henderson) in the draft. Then they did it. Henderson is an athletic scorer, and is versatile offensively.

13. Tyler Hansbrough is good, but not good enough to go at 13. With Earl Clark, Austin Daye, James Johnson, and DeJuan Blair still on the board, picking Hansbrough is not the best idea. He will be all right for Indiana. I'll say that.

14. Earl Clark was a terrific pick for Phoenix. If they are in the rebuilding process, this was the best thing that the Suns could do. He is a 6-9 scorer who can also handle and distribute the ball very well. He is also a pretty strong rebounder. Great pick.

NBA Draft 2009

2009-06-26T18:00:00.005-06:00

Vince Carter will be alot happier when he plays for Orlando next season

Before the NBA Draft this season began, the Nets shipped off their star player guard Vince Carter, and forward Ryan Anderson to the Orlando Magic for guards Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston, plus big man Tony Battie. Great trade for Orlando, but it looks like Turkoglu won't be in a Magic uniform next season. Oh well, I think Carter will help them get back to the ECF next season, anyway.

And I am not going to list the whole draft. Just go here.

But Blake Griffin was obviously picked #1, Hasheem Thabeet went #2, and James Harden went to OKC at #3, just as I said. But then the Kings picked Tyreke Evans, instead of Ricky Rubio, and then the Timberwolves got Rubio and Johnny Flynn from Syracuse back-to-back. Stephen Curry went to Golden State, Jordan Hill to New York, and DeMar DeRozan went to Toronto. Milwaukee grabbed Brandon Jennings, the Nets took Terrence Williams, the Bobcats unsurprisingly got Gerald Henderson from Duke, the Pacers probably made a mistake in drafting Tyler Hansbrough {though it could work}, and the Suns chose Earl Clark to finish out the lottery picks.

The biggest surprises to me was that DeJuan Blair got left all the way until 37 for the Spurs to pick him, when I had him at 18. And, no players from Utah or the Mountain West Conference were drafted at all. Tyler Hansbrough going at 13 was probably a mistake for Indiana, when Earl Clark, Austin Daye, Blair, guys like that were still on the board. Patrick Mills falling to 55. That Beaubios guy getting drafted, I never heard of him, but he could be good. Lee Cummard never getting picked, even though he was better than most of the players that went, I mean seriously, Taylor Griffin was just picked by Phoenix because his brother went #1, Cummard is a much more effective player! I just hope he is able to make an NBA team.

And one shoutout to Michael Jackson. His songs are awesome. He will be missed.

Shaq-to-Cleveland deal finished, Crawford gets sent to Hawks

2009-06-25T13:32:00.001-06:00

Today the Shaq-to-Cavaliers deal was finally completed. The Phoenix Suns traded center Shaquille O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers for forward Ben Wallace and guard Sasha Pavlovic, along with the 46th pick in the draft, and $500,000. Wallace said he was thinking about retirement and Pavlovic hasn't been the most effective player lately. The Suns could be rebuilding, but then again, they still have Amare Stoudemire, Jason Richardson, Leandro Barbosa, and Steve Nash. I think another trade for the Suns could happen tonight during the draft. They could deal their draft pick or send away one of their veterans. Stoudemire has been involved in trade talk, but I think the Suns should hold on to him, and if they are rebuilding, do it around him. Though there have been rumors that Stoudemire could be going to Golden State for Andris Biedrins and the Warriors' 7th pick in the draft.

And, the Lakers sold their 29th pick in the draft to help sign key forwards Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza. Then the Blazers handed Dallas their 24th and 56th picks to take the 22nd, and Dallas also gets another second round pick in 2010 from Portland.

And lastly, Jamal Crawford is going to Atlanta. They are still finalizing the deal, but next season Crawford is most likely going to be in a Hawks uniform unless they trade him again. He was traded from Golden State to Atlanta for guards Speedy Claxton and Acie Law.

Spurs get Richard Jefferson, Wizards get Foye, Miller from Minnesota

2009-06-23T20:12:00.003-06:00

The San Antonio Spurs agreed to acquire forward Richard Jefferson from the Milwaukee Bucks for veterans Kurt Thomas and Bruce Bowen, and Fabricio Oberto, who was later sent to the Detroit Pistons for young forward Amir Johnson. The Bucks wanted to do this deal to clear up some cap space. The Pistons are planning to buy out Oberto's contract to shed some more cap space. It's all about getting space for 2010's hyped up offseason now. No one cares who they are dealing except for a couple of the better teams such as Cleveland, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando.

The Celtics made a trade earlier, that involves Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, two key players from Boston's 2008 championship run, going to the Pistons for Richard Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey, and Tayshaun Prince. The Pistons rejected it. Who wouldn't?

This deal was probably not fair for the Pistons, it just gives Boston a whole bunch of great players, and Detroit gets an expiring contract, and a young developing point guard. When Allen's contract expires, it would give Detroit major cap room, but seriously, is it worth it to get rid of three of your best players, to get Rondo and $20 million.

Also, the Washington Wizards and Minnesota Timberwolves made a deal that would have the Wiz sending their 5th pick in the draft this year, Etan Thomas, Oleksiy Pecherov, and Darius Songaila to Minnesota for guard Randy Foye and forward Mike Miller.

Miller and Foye would give Washington very good perimeter shooting. Foye could join a talented backcourt that includes Gilbert Arenas, Nick Young, DeShawn Stevenson, and Mike James, and Miller could go up with starting forward Caron Butler and provide some 3 pointers. This is a good deal for Washington, but what about Minnesota? Are they getting a good deal?

That will be determined by who Minnesota picks for 5 and 6. If they choose correctly, then they will be a much better team next season. If they don't choose correctly, then the deal will backfire on them and their record will be even worse, which is the risky part of this deal. But, if they don't trade their 18th pick, their draft day could work out pretty well.

Last Mock Draft

2009-06-22T15:04:00.006-06:00

An NBA GM said this: "The only thing I can predict about this draft is that it will be one of the most unpredictable in draft history."

Anyone could agree with that. Ricky Rubio is a major part that is going to decide how the draft is going to go. He already told Memphis to back off and not pick him, Oklahoma City could pick him, but still is unsure, and he didn't even show up in Sacramento to work out. But one of those teams are most likely going to pick him. I don't think he will slip past #4. Here is one of my final mock drafts. I may switch it around a little before draft day, but for now this is it. Here is a link comparing it to Sportsnation and ESPN.

1 LA Clippers- Blake Griffin
2 Memphis Grizzlies- Hasheem Thabeet
3 Oklahoma City Thunder- James Harden
4 Sacramento Kings- Ricky Rubio
5 Washington Wizards- Jordan Hill
6 Minnesota Timberwolves- Tyreke Evans
7 Golden State Warriors- DeMar DeRozan
8 New York Knicks- Jrue Holiday
9 Toronto Raptors- Stephen Curry
10 Milwaukee Bucks- Brandon Jennings
11 New Jersey Nets- Earl Clark
12 Charlotte Bobcats- Gerald Henderson
13 Indiana Pacers- Austin Daye
14 Phoenix Suns- Johnny Flynn
15 Detoit Pistons- James Johnson
16 Chicago Bulls- Terrence Williams
17 Philadelphia 76ers- Ty Lawson
18 Minnesota Timberwolves- DeJuan Blair
19 Atlanta Hawks- Jeff Teague
20 Utah Jazz- Tyler Hansbrough
21 New Orleans Hornets- Eric Maynor
22 Dallas Mavericks- Derrick Brown
23 Sacramento Kings- DaJuan Summers
24 Portland Trail Blazers- Sam Young
25 Oklahoma City Thunder- B.J. Mullens
26 Chicago Bulls- Chase Budinger
27 Memphis Grizzlies- Darren Collison
28 Minnesota Timberwolves- Nick Calathes
29 LA Lakers- Toney Douglass
30 Cleveland Cavaliers- Patrick Mills

Shaq rumors....and now Amare?

2009-06-18T17:10:00.006-06:00

Could this happen?

There have been trade rumors of Shaq going to Cleveland lately, but now there are some rumors that are saying that Shaq's teammate forward Amare Stoudemire is also involved in some rumors- to Washington.

I like the idea of Amare going to Washington. It could really boost the Wizards up and they could try and make a run to the ECF next season. The Wizards would lose a key asset such as Antawn Jamison, but Stoudemire could truly improve their inside game. Jamison was a decent post player, shooter, and rebounder, but Stoudemire could give them a huge upgrade of that. Stoudemire can't shoot jumpshots, but he is very powerful inside and can give them more rebounds and more blocked shots.

But if both of them are going out of Phoenix, the Suns will have to pull something like a 3 or 4 way trade. And Phoenix said that they want value if they are trading Shaq out.

Here is my suggestion.

Send Stoudemire to Washington and Shaq to Cleveland.

Washington sends Jamison to Cleveland. And Mike James, Etan Thomas, and Andray Blatche to the Suns.

Cleveland sends Zydrunas Ilgauskas to the Wiz. Ben Wallace, Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic to the Suns.

See, Washington gets two very talented big men: Ilgaukas and Amare, plus a guy like Jordan Hill or streaky scorer James Harden in the draft. Cleveland gets the guy they want: Shaq, plus all-star Antawn Jamison. The Suns get a couple of underrated bench guys in Mike James and Andray Blatche. Anderson Varejao could help them pick up some offensive fouls {haha}, and Etan Thomas can help with rebounds. If Wallace sticks around and doesn't retire, he can help on defense, and Pavlovic is still developing as a better player. {But, they also have an option of buying out Wallace and Pavlovic, so they will have a big load of salary cap on their hands}

It is a good trade for all the teams invloved.

There is also another one that invloves the Raptors signing Shawn Marion and then trading him to the LA Clippers. There is really no one that could be traded for him, though. The amount of money for Marion would be around 45 million for 3 years if they did a sign and trade deal. The Clippers want to keep Marcus Camby. Baron Davis is a possibility. So is Zach Randolph, though he hasn't been much of a threat in his New York years, and last year he didn't do too well with Los Angeles. We will just have to see in July what happens.

Possible Huge Offseason Moves

2009-06-16T10:51:00.003-06:00

There have been rumors about Shaq going to Cleveland, but the Suns don't just want to rid him for salary, they also want some talent to come along with that. They could do a trade for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, but Wallace is talking about retirment, and Pavlovic hasn't been very effective in his career. Back at the trade deadline in February, the Suns said they would be interested in having guard Delonte West, but Cleveland wants to hold on to West.

There are also some other teams that want him, the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Hornets, and New York Knicks.

Dallas could send them center Erick Dampier and a decent role player, but Phoenix has no interest in Dampier. He isn't that good, and he is owed $23 million in the next two years.

Portland has really no one to trade up because most of the roster is made up of young players, and New York won't get Shaq by getting rid of Eddy Curry.

But New Orleans is a big possibility. They have Tyson Chandler (around $24 million) and Peja Stojakovic ($30 million}, but they are both too much for Phoenix. So we are just going to have to wait and see what happens to Shaq this offseason.

Also, Hedo Turkoglu announced that he will be opting out for free agency this offseason. Detroit could be a possible destination for Turkoglu even though Orlando is very commited to bringing him back for next season. But the money could be a problem for Orlando. They haven't been a tax team for quite a while, so he may go to a team like the Pistons, because they may be relieved of their cap space taken up by Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace. The Pistons could also pick up a guy like Carlos Boozer, and they are also eyeing Bulls guard Ben Gordon.

Josh Smith is also a big name on the trade block. He is cheap, and very, very talented. But I don't think the Hawks should give him up because he could be a superstar in years to come.

And about Tyler Hansbrough.

I said on the day of the draft lottery that the Jazz would pick him, and then all of the sudden, mock drafts started saying that as well. I know I didn't trigger that because none of those big sites read my little blog, but I just thought it was interesting that a bunch of the mock drafts are saying that. And he also worked out with Utah a little bit ago. So he might be going over to Utah. Jerry Sloan also admitted that he likes the kids who work as hard as they can while they are on the court. Hansbrough is one of those players.

The LOS ANGELES LAKERS- YOUR 2009 NBA CHAMPIONS!!!

2009-06-14T20:36:00.003-06:00

With 36 seconds to go, Los Angeles was up 97-86, and I called it game.

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGELES LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKERS- YOUR 2009 NBA CHAMPIONS!!!!

That's all I got to say!!! 99-86!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GO LAKERS!!!!!!!!! AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lakers win to go up 3-1 in Finals!!!

2009-06-11T22:01:00.004-06:00

Fisher's huge three

I had a feeling something awesome was going to happen. It did. Derek Fisher hit a huge {HUMONGOUS} shot to tie it at 87 with 4 seconds left. Orlando called a timeout and then Turkoglu called another one. Finally they got the ball into Mickael Pietrus and he had plenty of time to put a good shot up. But he put up a bad angled shot and it dropped down as time expired.

In overtime, Kobe made a couple of good shots, but then later with 1:27 left in OT, Dwight Howard shoved Pau Gasol and they called a foul on Gasol. So Howard went to the line and made one of two. Derek Fisher brought the ball down after that and a couple of passes around were made and they ended up missing their shot. Trevor Ariza saved it from going out and with 1:01 left, Phil Jackson called a time out. Kobe Bryant was then passed the ball to and missed a shot. Jameer Nelson was called for a loose ball foul on Gasol and the Lakers passed it in to Kobe. He gave it to Fisher and he made another humongous clutch shot. HUGE shot. Made it 94-91. Love this Lakers basketball. Fisher had a huge smile on his face. Orlando called a timeout. Turkoglu then missed a shot, and then Gasol sprinted after the loose ball and dunked it in!!! Orlando called another timeout with 21.6 left. I was jumping after this play. Turkoglu missed it again, probably the worst time to miss. The ball was tipped around and then finally Fisher got control. He then threw it to Gasol and as he dunked it in, Pietrus whammed him on the back and they had an "exchange" of words. They gave Pietrus a flagrant and Gasol a technical. Gasol made one of the free throws to take the game 99-91!!! WOOOO!

Kobe led LA with 32, Gasol added 16 points and 10 rebounds, Ariza had 16 as well, and Fisher had 12. You have to give credit to everyone on the roster, though. Ariza made huge plays, then Fisher made his huge plays, and Gasol finished off Orlando.

Orlando was led by Hedo Turkoglu's 25 and Dwight's 16 points and 21 rebounds.

Lakers drop Game 3 to Magic

2009-06-10T12:33:00.002-06:00

The Magic finally won a Finals game.

And people give credit to a little girl?

I don't think so. Maybe, though.

They did have 2 bad performances in LA, but this game they shot a finals-record 63% field goal shooting. They shot an astounding 75% in the 1st half, but then the shooting percentage gradually went down in the 2nd half, where they shot 16/32.

If the Magic lost this game, then they would be in a 0-3 hole, one that no NBA team in the postseason has ever gotten out of. But now, they are trying to become just the fourth team to come back from 2-0 to win the series. I don't think that is going to happen, though. LA still has a tougher, better team than Orlando. They just got hot this game. And Kobe missed some key free throws that would have won the Lakers the game.

In the first game in a Lakers blowout, the Magic shot a horrid 29.9%, then in the overtime loss they shot a little better {42%}, but in this game they shot so well it covered up for some of the poor shooting in the other games.

The Magic had 5 players that scored more than 18 points, Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis each had 21, Rafer Alston stepped away from his poor shooting in the first 2 games and had 20, and Mickael Pietrus and Hedo Turkoglu had 18 apiece.

The Lakers were led by Kobe's 31 points and 8 assists, and Pau Gasol added 23, but had only 3 rebounds, which is 6 below his average this series. Trevor Ariza added 13, and Lamar Odom and Jordan Farmar both had 11 off the bench.

In the closing minutes, Gasol was fouled and made 2 free throws to tie it up at 99 after the Magic were up 81-75 at the end of the 3rd. Pietrus then grabbed the ball and dunked in a miss, and Lewis made a shot on the three point line to make it 104-101. Kobe then was fouled and had a chance to slice the lead to one, but missed them. Then Bryant got the ball back on the next possession and tried a little too much. He got past Pietrus with a crossover, then went up and Howard knocked the ball away, leading to 2 Pietrus free throws and a 106-102 lead.

This next part made me pretty angry.

The Lakers got desperate and started hucking up 3s, they missed 4 in a row on the same possession, and finally Kobe decided to just put in a easy 2 pointer. That is what they should have done in the first place! They should have just made a quick 2, and then tried to create a steal or intentionally foul the Magic, and then make a real quick shot to bring their team back to life. But then with 0.5 seconds left, they fouled Lewis and he made both free throws to finish off L.A. The next game is Thursday at Orlando.

Quick news: Jason Kapono gets sent to 76ers, Kings hire Paul Westphal

2009-06-09T20:51:00.004-06:00

The Toronto Raptors traded former 3 point shootout champion Jason Kapono to the Philadelphia 76ers for forward Reggie Evans.

Michael Grange of the globeandmail.com news said that Bryan Colangelo said one of his goals this off-season was to make his team tougher. He just did by trading for Evans. This afternoon they got bruising forward Reggie Evans. Colangelo also said that their organization was too nice and he wanted to bring in some guys with different mentalities. They might be able to get some more of those tough-minded players because Chris Bosh has already made it clear that he wants to be a free agent in the hyped-up offseason in 2010.

Evans isn't the best offensive player, but he certainly is great at grabbing the boards. He averaged 12.6 rebounds {4.6 offensive rebounds} per 36 minutes over his 7 year career.

The Kings also announced that they hired Paul Westphal as their head coach. He has previously coached for the Phoenix Suns and Seattle Sonics, and recently was an assistant for the Dallas Mavericks before taking this job. Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau and Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis were in the running for the job, but Westphal was hired. He is 267-159 {0.63} in 7 seasons as a head coach.

List of all the NBA championships and Finals MVP's

2009-06-06T14:25:00.004-06:00

Here is a list of all the NBA champions since the 1968-69 season, when they started giving the Finals MVP award.

68-69 LA Lakers {Jerry West}
69-70 New York Knicks {Willis Reed}
70-71 Milwaukee Bucks {Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar}
71-72 LA Lakers {Wilt Chamberlain}
72-73 New York Knicks {Willis Reed}
73-74 Boston Celtics {John Havlicek}
74-75 Golden State Warriors {Rick Barry
75-76 Boston Celtics {Jo-Jo White}
76-77 Portland Trail Blazers {Bill Walton}
77-78 Washington Bullets {Wes Unseld}
78-79 Seattle Sonics {Dennis Johnson}
79-80 LA Lakers {Magic Johnson}
80-81 Boston Celtics {Cedric Maxwell}
81-82 LA Lakers {Magic Johnson}
82-83 Philadelphia 76ers {Moses Malone}
83-84 Boston Celtics {Larry Bird}
84-85 LA Lakers {Kareem Abdul-Jabbar}
85-86 Boston Celtics {Larry Bird}
86-87 LA Lakers {Magic Johnson}
87-88 LA Lakers {James Worthy}
88-89 Detroit Pistons {Joe Dumars}
89-90 Detroit Pistons {Isiah Thomas}
90-91 Chicago Bulls {Michael Jordan}
91-92 Chicago Bulls {Michael Jordan}
92-93 Chicago Bulls {Michael Jordan}
93-94 Houston Rockets {Hakeem Olajuwon}
94-95 Houston Rockets {Hakeem Olajuwon}
95-96 Chicago Bulls {Michael Jordan}
96-97 Chicago Bulls {Michael Jordan}
97-98 Chicago Bulls {Michael Jordan}
98-99 San Antonio Spurs {Tim Duncan}
99-00 LA Lakers {Shaquille O'Neal}
00-01 LA Lakers {Shaquille O'Neal}
01-02 LA Lakers {Shaquille O'Neal}
02-03 San Antonio Spurs {Tim Duncan}
03-04 Detroit Pistons {Chauncey Billups}
04-05 San Antonio Spurs {Tim Duncan}
05-06 Miami Heat {Dwyane Wade}
06-07 San Antonio Spurs {Tony Parker}
07-08 Boston Celtics {Paul Pierce}

It is funny because it mostly has been the same people that keep winning the titles. Only 14 teams have won the Championships since 1969, so that means that more than 16 {because of Charlotte, Memphis, Vancouver, Oklahoma City, etc.} have not won it. Once you start a legacy, it just keeps going on and on. In the 80's, it was all Celtics-Lakers, and they both have successful teams today. In the 90's, it was all Michael Jordan and the Bulls, and I know soon they will have a more successful team and will probably win another title in the future. 22 of the 40 titles were occupied by either the Bulls, Celtics, or Lakers since '69. All time, it was 37 of the 62 titles that had those teams win it all. And it will be 38 of 63 if the Lakers can take it this year.

It was just a thought that came to mind, so I decided to write about it.

Lakers take Game 1 100-75!!

2009-06-04T21:54:00.002-06:00

In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Kobe Bryant took over and scored 40 points and added 8 rebounds and 8 assists, and the Lakers pounded the Magic 100-75.

Pau Gasol had 16 points and 8 rebounds and Lamar Odom the Candyman had 11 points and 14 rebounds. They also got some pretty good bench help from Luke Walton and Josh Powell.

Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis both struggled for Orlando, and the team only shot 29.9% from the field. Ouch. Howard had 12 points {10 on free throws} and 15 rebounds, but only shot 1 for 6, and Lewis had 8 points on 2-10 shooting, and had 4 fouls. They had some good help off the bench from Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat, and Jameer Nelson, but it wasn't enough, obviously.

Bryant looked like he was just tired of everything that was getting in his way and just wants to throw the Magic aside so he can get hold of the NBA title he has been drooling for. So he dropped 40 points on them and blew them out. Sounds good for me.

Here is another thing that sounds good for me: Phil Jackson is 43-0 in series in which his team wins Game 1. That is a beautiful sentence.

But I know that the Magic will be back and alert for Game 2 on Sunday night. Dwight Howard will be ready. Lewis will be ready. Turkoglu- ready. I know all their guys will be very cautious on Sunday. The Lakers just need to come pumped up, and not cocky. And they have this Championship in the bag. The Magic are still capable of winning the title this year though, if LA doesn't bring their game.

Lakers-Magic Game 1 Preview

2009-06-04T13:14:00.004-06:00

The Lakers and Magic are about to kick off Game 1 of the NBA Finals tonight at 7:00 Mt. time. Here are the stats for both teams {for individual players} throughout the regular season, I just thought I wanted to post it, so here they are.

Lakers
Lead Scorer: Kobe Bryant 29.6
Lead Rebounder: Pau Gasol 11.3
Lead Assists: Kobe Bryant 4.9
Lead Steals: Kobe Bryant 1.72
Lead Blocker: Pau Gasol 2.0
Lead FG%: Pau Gasol .574
Lead FT%: Josh Powell 1.000 {Only has shot 6, though}

Roster:
Trevor Ariza
Shannon Brown
Kobe Bryant
Andrew Bynum
Jordan Farmar
Derek Fisher
Pau Gasol
DJ Mbenga
Adam Morrison
Lamar Odom
Josh Powell
Sasha Vujacic
Sun Yue

Magic
Lead Scorer: Dwight Howard 21.7
Lead Rebounder: Dwight Howard 15.4
Lead Assists: Hedo Turkoglu 5.1
Lead Steals: Rafer Alston 1.61
Lead Blocker: Dwight Howard 2.22
Lead FG%: Dwight Howard .622
Lead FT%: J.J. Redick .923 {12/13}

Roster:
Rafer Alston
Tony Battie
Adonal Foyle
Marcin Gortat
Dwight Howard
Anthony Johnson
Courtney Lee
Rashard Lewis
Tyronn Lue
Jameer Nelson
Mickael Pietrus
J.J. Redick
Jeremy Richardson
Hedo Turkoglu

Lamar Odom loves his candy

2009-06-02T17:19:00.003-06:00

I was wondering why they were calling Odom "The Candyman", and I found this video. Now I know.

Check out this one too:

NBA Finals

2009-06-02T12:48:00.004-06:00

Here are my predictions, matchups, etc. for the 2009 NBA Finals!

Here are the matchups this year for all positions:

PG
Derek Fisher {LAL} vs. Rafer Alston {ORL}
The Magic are extremely fortunate that they managed to pull Alston out of Houston at the deadline because star Jameer Nelson was injured. And he really has helped the Magic get here. Fisher will have to step up his game a little bit, to keep up with this playground legend.

Advantage: Magic

SG
Kobe Bryant {LAL} vs. Courtney Lee {ORL}
Lee is a solid role player, one that plays better than most rookies. He is a good defender, but Kobe is one of the most dangerous offensive players in the world. I'm going to have to give this to the Lakers.

Advantage: Lakers

SF
Trevor Ariza {LAL} vs. Hedo Turkoglu {ORL}
Ariza was acquired from Orlando in 2007, and he was a huge steal for L.A. His jumper has improved drastically and he is an amazing defender. Turkoglu's jumper has been pretty inconsistent lately, but I think he will heat up for this exciting Finals matchup.

Advantage: Magic

PF
Pau Gasol {LAL} vs. Rashard Lewis {ORL}
Lewis is a great shooter and a decent inside player, but he will have to be more aggressive on defense to stop Gasol.

Advantage: Lakers

C
Andrew Bynum {LAL} vs. Dwight Howard {ORL}
Howard was pretty much unstoppable against the Cavs, and he and everyone else that follows the NBA knows he is the most dominant center in the league. Bynum is pretty inconsistent coming from his knee injury, and has been in foul trouble lately. I think he can probably do some good to stop Howard. If not, place Gasol on him, and grab Lamar Odom to guard Lewis.

Advantage: Magic

Bench
Lakers bench vs. Magic bench
When Odom plays well, the Lakers usually win. If he can stick on Lewis and not let him get any easy shots, the Lakers can pull this series out. Sure, they might need a lot more help guarding Howard, but if they can stop everyone around Dwight, they can win the Finals. Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, and Sasha Vujacic are also some keys off the bench for LA. For the Magic, Mickael Pietrus is being a beast, and he will get many opportunities to guard Kobe, and Anthony Johnson, Marcin Gortat, and possibly Tony Battie are some of their other guys off the bench.

Advantage: Lakers

Prediction: Lakers in 7

This will be a hard-fought series. Both teams have matchup issues for eachother, but I think that it will go to 7 games and the Lakers will win on their home court. They have enough confidence, offensive weapons, and depth, and that will really help on their way to win a title.

Lakers back in the Finals for the 30th time

2009-05-30T08:44:00.004-06:00

The Lakers are back in the Finals!!

The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the Finals.

Behind Kobe Bryant's 35 points and 10 assists, the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 119-92 in Game 6 to claim their 30th Western Conference title.

There is still that big buzz about having Kobe-LeBron in the Finals, but I don't think it's going to happen. I really think that Orlando will pull away from Cleveland and go to the Finals for the first time since '95.

Kobe complimented the Nuggets and said that they really helped the Lakers get to where they wanted to be.

“Denver is a great team, very skilled at all positions,” Bryant said. “Strong inside. Strong on the perimeter. Huge problem for us. And because of that, we had to elevate our level as a unit. And if we didn’t do that, we’d be going home early.”

The biggest reason for this is Chauncey Billups. If he was never traded over to Denver, they would have been done a long time ago. Billups is a great team leader and plays very well on this squad.

“Obviously today is a tough day in losing,” Billups said. “But it’s been absolutely the best year I’ve been a part of outside of winning the championship in ’04, me coming home, me being a proud Denver kid all my life.”

I think this series really helped both teams. George Karl has the same mindset.

“In a lot of ways, we’ve helped them put their pieces back together and they’ve helped us grow up faster,” he said.

The Nuggets need to grow a little more, though. They have amazing pieces on their team. Expect them to be back in the Finals in 2010.

It wasn't just Bryant that was doing all the work, though. He got terrific help from his teammates. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom both put up 20 points, and Trevor Ariza added 17. The Lakers made all 24 of their free throws, and shot 9-for-16 on three pointers.

The Nuggets were led by Carmelo Anthony's 25 and J.R. Smith's 24, and Billups had 10 points and 9 assists.

Game's Highlights:

Magic one win away from Finals

2009-05-27T18:08:00.003-06:00

The Magic won 116-114 over the Cavs to go up 3-1 in the series, one win away from the Finals.

LeBron missed a big heave at the end of overtime to lose and fall further behind Orlando. But, he had 44 points on 45% shooting. Though some of those shots were clearly off the mark. But hey, it's LeBron, no one cares about his stats, we just say that he is better than Kobe because we hate him...? Sorry, just had to say that one.

Dwight Howard showed that he was the most dominant player in the league by putting up 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting and grabbed 14 rebounds. He also swatted away 3 shots. Rafer Alston added 26 for Orlando.

NBA Draft 1st round

2009-05-23T09:25:00.004-06:00

The last post I wrote the first five picks I thought would happen in the draft, so here is the rest of the first round and the second round.

6 Minnesota Timberwolves
Pick: Ty Lawson
They have Al Jefferson and Kevin Love playing well up in the big men spots, and Randy Foye would work pretty well at the 2 guard if the T-Wolves picked up Lawson for point guard.

7 Golden State Warriors
Pick: Stephen Curry
He lead the NCAA in scoring again, and if Don Nelson is looking for any kind of guard, this is the guy to pick. He can stay at PG or slide up to SG.

8 New York Knicks
Pick: Brandon Jennings
The Knicks probably need upgrades in many spots, and Jennings could be stored for a while on New York, then in a couple years be released when his game has improved. He is still a young one like Ricky Rubio, that needs time to build up his game.

9 Toronto Raptors
Pick: James Johnson
Toronto is revolving around Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, and Jose Caledron for now, so they need someone in the 2 or 3 spot. I think they need major help in the 3 spot, unless Shawn Marion is staying with the Raptors. If that happens, they would take someone like DeMar DeRozan or Tyreke Evans.

10 Milwaukee Bucks
Pick: Jeff Teague
This guy can really light up a team. With guys like Richard Jefferson, Michael Redd, and Andrew Bogut around him, the Bucks could really shoot up in the standings.

11 New Jersey Nets
Pick: Tyreke Evans
A 6-5 guy who played PG for Memphis, can even go up and play shooting guard for the Nets. Vince Carter is kind of drifting away from New Jersey, so Evans could help if Carter continues to act like this.

12 Charlotte Bobcats
Pick: Gerald Henderson
He became a great shooter and defender in college, and the Bobcats would love to have one of these guys on their team.

13 Indiana Pacers
Pick: DeMar DeRozan
He has nice size and athleticism, and could fit well with star Danny Granger. Though he struggled in some areas while playing with USC, he could pour in some points for the Pacers.

14 Phoenix Suns
Pick: Johnny Flynn
Steve Nash could be retired soon, and I think that Johnny Flynn would be a good addition to the Suns. He can jump like a 6-6 guy, but is only 6 feet flat. He can also handle and distribute the ball very well.

15 Detroit Pistons
Pick: DeJuan Blair
Rasheed Wallace may not re-sign with Detroit, and I have heard rumors that Carlos Boozer could be going there this summer, but just to be on the safe side, Blair could be added and really help the Pistons. He is a pretty good post threat, a key that the Pistons don't have right now.

16 Chicago Bulls
Pick: Earl Clark
Someone who really helped Louisville in the NCAA tourney, could help the Bulls with their struggles as well. They could also take a guard if Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon don't come back, but if I was Chicago, I would take Clark if he was still on the board.

17 Philadelphia 76ers
Pick: Eric Maynor
Maynor was one of the top scoring point guards in college last season, and if Andre Miller re-signs, he would be a great contributer off the bench. If Elton Brand is back from injury, the 76ers could have an amazing team consisting of Brand, Andre Iguodala, Miller, Samuel Dalembert, and now this Eric Maynor kid.

18 Minnesota Timberwolves
Pick: Terrence Williams
Minnesota has another chance in the first round, so take Williams, a guard who has many natural attributes.

19 Atlanta Hawks
Pick: Jrue Holiday
Someone who could be a good backup to Mike Bibby, if he decides to re-sign.

20 Utah Jazz
Pick: Tyler Hansbrough
Hansbrough isn't the most athletic player, but works his butt off when he is on the court. A guy Utah really needs.

21 New Orleans Hornets
Pick: BJ Mullens
I still don't understand what is going on with Tyson Chandler. He got traded to OKC, but then got thrown back to New Orleans? This is crazy! I don't think the Hornets are very interested in Chandler anymore, so take Mullens to repair that center position.

22 Dallas Mavericks
Pick: Chase Budinger
Dallas could be in need of a shooting guard who has great offensive instincts. Budinger is the guy to go with at this point in the draft. His athleticism is amazing, and he can shoot from the perimeter pretty well.

23 Sacramento Kings
Pick: Austin Daye
The Kings are kind of in a mess right now, but Austin Daye could be some help for them. He should have stayed in college one more year to build his skills, but the Kings need some frontline strengthening.

24 Portland Trail Blazers
Pick: Sam Young
He could be a good bench role for Portland next year as they continue to rise in the standings.

25 Oklahoma City Thunder
Pick: DaJuan Summers
Good role player, would help the Thunder in some situations.

26 Chicago Bulls
Pick: Gani Lawal
Solid rebounder that the Bulls may need next year.

27 Memphis Grizzlies
Pick: Darren Collison
Another good PG from UCLA.

28 Minnesota Timberwolves
Pick: Derrick Brown
Minnesota has 3 picks in the first round, so one of them is probably going to be traded. It could be Brown. If not, he could be a Robert Horry type of player for Minnesota.

29 Los Angeles Lakers
Pick: Dionte Christmas
A bit of an underrated player because of the college he played at, he could be another good role player for LA. He is sort of like Micheal Redd, just not as athletic.

30 Cleveland Cavaliers
Pick: Wayne Ellington
It would be terrific for the Cavaliers if Ellington was still available at this point in the draft. A real steal for Cleveland.

Second Round:

31 Sacramento Kings: Marcus Thornton
32 Portland Trail Blazers: Patrick Mills
33 Washington Wizards: Dante Cunningham
34 Denver Nuggets: Robert Dozier
35 Memphis Grizzlies: Jeff Pendegraph
36 Detroit Pistons: Jeff Adrian
37 San Antonio Spurs: Taj Gibson
38 Portland Trail Blazers: Omri Casspi
39 Detroit Pistons: Danny Green
40 Charlotte Bobcats: AJ Price
41 Milwaukee Bucks: Jermaine Taylor
42 LA Lakers: Vladimir Dasic
43 Miami Heat: Toney Douglas
44 Detroit Pistons: Curtis Jerrells
45 Minnesota Timberwolves: Jerel McNeal
46 Cleveland Cavaliers: Jonas Jerebko
47 Minnesota Timberwolves: Josh Heytvelt
48 Phoenix Suns: Lee Cummard
49 Atlanta Hawks: Tyrese Rice
50 Utah Jazz: Al-Farouq Aminu
51 San Antonio Spurs: Jodie Meeks
52 Indiana Pacers: Milenko Tepic
53 San Antonio Spurs: Greivis Vasquez
54 Charlotte Bobcats: Luke Nevill
55 Portland Trail Blazers: Henk Norel
56 Portland Trail Blazers: Jack McClinton
57 Phoenix Suns: Emir Preldzic
58 Boston Celtics: Victor Claver
59 LA Lakers: Damion James
60 Cleveland Cavaliers: Sergio Llull

Kobe's 40 puts Lakers on top of Nuggets, 2009 NBA mock draft

2009-05-20T18:53:00.002-06:00

Jerry West's words must have hit Kobe pretty hard, even if he denied it. Here are West's words: “… I do think LeBron has surpassed Kobe as a player.” It comes from the guy who traded for Kobe on draft night back in 96. Kobe thinks of him as a second father. And here he is saying that sure, he would have Kobe take the shot at the end of the game, but LeBron has surpassed him.

Most of the world is saying this, but I'm going to have to stick with Kobe. I am aware that LeBron will surpass him at one point, but it's not now. He will have his time. He is only 24, he still has many years to go. For now, it's Kobe's time.

He showed that by dumping 40 points on the Nuggets in their 105-103 win Tuesday night.

The Lakers trailed 10 minutes into the game by 13. So, as usual, Kobe took over. Sometimes if this happens, Kobe is off and the Lakers end up getting destroyed. But, other times, he is successful and the Lakers go on to win.

This one was hard fought, though. Carmelo Anthony blazed the Lakers with 39, but the Lakers executed at the right time. Bryant was covering Anthony on an inbounds pass with 30.5 seconds left, and it forced guard Anthony Carter to hit Chauncey Billups with a pass. As his pass was in the air, Trevor Ariza snatched and secured the ball, giving the Lakers their close win.

MY NBA MOCK DRAFT 2009

Ok, so last night, I wrote about what the draft order was. Now, here is my mock draft for the first 5 picks. I will post about the rest in 1 or 2 days.

1 LA Clippers
Pick: Blake Griffin
Almost everyone says that Griffin will be the first pick in the draft this year, and I agree. This kid is a beast. He will be like another Elton Brand that the Clippers desperately need.

2 Memphis Grizzlies
Pick: Hasheem Thabeet
They need a big guy like Thabeet. His offense needs a little more work, but the Grizzlies mostly just need defense. They already have O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay for the offense part.

3 Oklahoma City Thunder
Pick: Jordan Hill
Nenad Krstic played pretty well at the center spot for OKC, and Jordan Hill will probably help the Thunder with their big man needs. 6-10, 235 is pretty solid.

4 Sacramento Kings
Pick: Ricky Rubio
Beno Udrih did well a while back, but this last season, I really didn't hear anything about him. Rubio still has years to learn the game better, but the Kings are growing as well. It will be good for both Rubio and the Kings.

5 Washington Wizards
Pick: James Harden
Sure, I love DeShawn Stevenson, but I would rather have him coming off the bench as a 6th man. Harden was an amazing scorer. The Wizards could lead the league in scoring next year, if Gilbert Arenas comes back, and Jamison continues to play as he does, and Butler comes back to his normal self.

Clippers win #1 draft pick, semifinal predictions

2009-05-19T20:55:00.002-06:00

The LA Clippers are going to pick #1 in the draft this year. They have had one chance at this before in 1998, but picked Michael Olowakandi, who ended up being not as great as they hoped for. His career averages are 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds. Not someone I would pick first.

The Memphis Grizzlies grabbed #2, the Thunder got #3, Sacramento got #4, and the Washington Wizards got #5.

Here are the rest of the results:
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
7. Golden State Warriors
8. New York Knicks
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. New Jersey Nets
12. Charlotte Bobcats
13. Indiana Pacers
14. Phoenix Suns

And for the Western and Eastern Conference Finals series, here are my predictions.

West
Lakers in 6 {Lakers will get by Nuggets, even if there are still doubters and haters. They learned a lot from the Houston series}

East
Cavs in 6 {Cavs will have a little more trouble with the Magic, but in the end, they will move on. I want to see Kobe and LeBron in the finals against eachother.}

Big Three? What about Rondo?.......and some on the Lakers-Rockets series

2009-05-07T15:33:00.006-06:00

I think there should be a Big Four or something. Rondo is amazing!

Right now, the Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo has been playing a WHOLE lot better than the big three has.

Sure, Garnett is injured and all, but Rondo has 3 triple doubles already in the playoffs. And Paul Pierce and Ray Allen? Do they both have 3 triple doubles? Nope. I think if Rondo wasn't part of the Celtics, they wouldn't even be this far. They would have collapsed in the first round against the Bulls because of Rondo's triple doubles and his great defense. No one on the Celtics can guard Derrick Rose except for him.

Also, another key player: Eddie House. I thought it was funny when he made a 3 and Rafer Alston slapped House on the head, but that's not the point. He was lighting up the scoreboard. He had 31 points on 4-4 3 point shooting.

And about the Lakers-Rockets game. Yeah, Kobe probably should have gotten a technical for elbowing Ron Artest. But instead, Artest got dealed with an ejection and Kobe stayed on the court. Artest tried to stay cool in the first couple of clubbings from Bryant, but once he got the elbow in his throat, his top blew off and he went up in his face and was all "You know who you're hitting? You're hittin' Ron Artest!" Kobe knew who he was hitting. He knows he can get away with that stuff. It is a good thing to take advantage of, even if it is a bad thing to do. Artest has been playing very well, and Kobe knew if he got him steaming angry, he would be out of there almost immediately. Plus, that is how Kobe gets himself fired up and ready to blow out someone. So, he scored 40, and the Lakers went on to win 111-98. Ron Artest also said some things. Here they are:

“I told Kobe, ‘You can do whatever you want to do, I’m not reacting’. I’m going to let the refs control it. But what am I going to do out there: continue to get hit?”

“I remember when I used to play back home in the neighborhood, there was always games like that,” Artest said afterward, “One of my friends was playing … and it was so competitive they broke a piece of leg from a table and they threw it and it went right through his heart and he died, right on the court.

Then he went:
“So I’m accustomed to playing basketball really rough. … I’m used to fighting on the court. That’s how I grew up playing basketball. It took me a lot of years to really back off and understand that’s not what the league is about.”

And lastly he said something for Kobe:

“You’ve got to have balls, to hit a guy like me in the throat.”

The game produced five technical fouls, a flagrant, and 2 ejections. It was coming from both sides. But, it could have been worse. Von Wafer was having a temper tantrum on the side, so coach Rick Adelman banished him to the locker room. Also, Rockets forward Luis Scola was involved in a lot. He jawed with 3 different LA Lakers during the 3rd quarter. He also went out to set a screen for guard Aaron Brooks and got layed out by Derek Fisher.

Also, Fisher and Scola were involved in a different little fight. Except this time Fisher got ejected. He launched himself into Scola's chest and cut his head at the same time. And the refs sent him out of there. Afterward, he said that he was just using the personal foul the Lakers had to give and misjudged the differences between the two. But, he also said "We intend to win a championship, whatever it takes to do that, we’re willing to do.”

Oh, and here are the results for the All-Defensive team this year. 5 of the best players in the NBA:

C Dwight Howard {who also got Defensive Player of the year for 08-09}

PF Kevin Garnett

SF LeBron James

SG Kobe Bryant

PG Chris Paul

The second team included Tim Duncan, Ron Artest, Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade, and Shane Battier.

Other series

2009-05-06T19:09:00.002-06:00

The Hawks managed to blow out Miami in the 7th game, and defending champion Boston squirmed past Chicago in the final minutes and were able to win. Here are the second round predictions for the playoffs.

2 Celtics-3 Magic
Prediction: Magic in 7
Comments: The Magic won the first game against Boston, but now the Celtics are getting back at them and lead by 15 at the half. Boston could probably get back to the finals this season without Kevin Garnett, that is what the Lakers did without Andrew Bynum last year, but my prediction is that Orlando will eventually get past the Celtics.

1 Cavaliers-4 Hawks
Prediction: Cavs in 5
Comments: The MVP and the Cavaliers annailated Atlanta in Game 1, and I think they will go on to win the series easily as they did in the 1st round against Detroit. Maybe the Hawks will win at least 1 game, but the Cavs could also just sweep the Hawks.

All-Rookie Team 2009 and Playoff Predictions Round 2

2009-05-01T15:44:00.004-06:00

Here are the results of the 2009 All-Rookie team.

Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls and O.J. Mayo were unanimous picks for the team, and OKC's Russell Westbrook, New Jersey's Brook Lopez, and Miami's Michael Beasley joined them as the other members of the All-Rookie first team.

The second team started out with Eric Gordon of the Clippers, the T-Wolves' Kevin Love, Mario Chalmers of the Heat, Pau Gasol's brother Marc of the Grizzlies, Portland's Rudy Fernandez, and Charlotte's D.J. Augustin.

I will talk about the matchups of the second round, and then write about the Bulls-Celtics series once it is over. And the Miami-Atlanta series as well.

West

1 Lakers-5 Rockets

Prediction: Lakers in 6

Comments: Yao Ming and Ron Artest managed to push Houston out of the first round for the first time since 1997. But the Lakers are up and ready after throwing aside Utah in the first round, they are destined to thrash the Rockets in this next round.

2 Nuggets-6 Mavericks

Prediction: Nuggets in 6

Comments: The Mavs easily got passed San Antonio in the first round, and you could say it was because of Manu Ginobili's absense. But, I am just saying the Spurs are fading away and getting older. The Mavericks are as well, but they still had more life than San Antonio did in that series. On the other side, the Nuggets have been playing terrific, and one of the reasons is because coach George Karl has greatly improved their defense. I think Denver can take this series in 6 games if they keep playing like they did in the first round.

playoff predictions

2009-04-25T18:59:00.004-06:00

Here is a short rundown of who I think will go on to the next round.

1 Lakers- 8 Jazz

Lakers in 5

The Jazz managed to pull one out, but I expect it to be the only one.

2 Nuggets-7 Hornets

Nuggets in 6

The Hornets barely got past Denver to win a game, but it doesn't seem like too much.

3 Spurs-6 Mavericks

Mavericks in 6

The Mavs are up 3-1, but before they go on to win the series, I think the Spurs will work their butts off to win the next one.

4 Blazers-5 Rockets

Rockets in 7

Yao Ming said he would bring them past the first round, and Luis Scola is really helping that cause.

1 Cavs-8 Pistons

Cavs in 4

These aren't the same Pistons as last year. You can blame it on the Billups-Iverson trade, but it is not just that. The Pistons are just not working well together.

2 Celtics-7 Bulls

Celtics in 6

Ben Gordon really wants to surpass the Celtics this year, but it probably won't happen. Boston is a good team, even without KG.

3 Magic-6 76ers

Sixers in 7

The Sixers are blowing the minds of basketball fans across the world, and I think they deserve to go on to the next round.

4 Hawks-5 Heat

Heat in 6

At first, I thought Atlanta had this series locked up. But Dwyane Wade and the Heat are really fighting to get past these guys. After a measly 15 wins last year, look for the Heat to fight at least to the next round.

That was Off....

2009-04-04T21:49:00.003-06:00

Ok, so in my last post I said that UConn and Villanova were going to be the ones to go to the championship. And it ended up the complete opposite. Michigan State upset UConn 82-73, and North Carolina cruised past Villanova 83-69.

So here is my prediction for the championship game. Hopefully it is not the opposite again this time.

North Carolina 91-Michigan St. 87
It will be a back and forth game just like the Kansas-Memphis game last year, and then someone like UNC's Ty Lawson will hit a big shot and seal the game up. And then the Tar Heels will get that title that they have been hunting for.

NBA and NCAA Playoff predictions....

2009-04-02T15:12:00.004-06:00

The Final Four games are coming up, and believe it or not, the NBA playoff games are too. So here are my predictions for those games.

Final Four:

Michigan St. vs. UConn
My pick to win: UConn

Michigan State is a very good team. They beat out last year's champion Kansas, and then stopped #1 Louville from getting to the Final Four. But UConn is my pick to win. They have a better team, better offense/defense, and according to my buddy Griffin, they have the snazziest style of play in college basketball.

Prediction: UConn 84- Michigan State 75

Villanova vs. North Carolina
My pick to win: Villanova

Many people would say NC would get past Nova, but the Wildcats are a lot better than they think. Sure, North Carolina has Ty Lawson and Hansbrough, but I think they are going to choke against these guys. Villanova beat my pick in my bracket, Duke, and then also passed a tough Pittsburgh team. This is Nova's win, sorry Tarheel fans.

Championship: UConn 92, Villanova 88
Villanova will keep up with UConn the whole game, but at the end, AJ Price is going to hit some key free throws and put it away.

NBA PLAYOFFS

Here is pretty much what the playoff matchups look like for now:

West

1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. 8 Dallas Mavericks {Prediction: Lakers in 5}
2 Denver Nuggets vs. 7 Utah Jazz {Prediction: Nuggets in a rough 7}
3 San Antonio Spurs vs. 6 Portland TrailBlazers {Prediction: Blazers in 6 UPSET!}
4 Houston Rockets vs. 5 New Orleans Hornets {Prediction: Hornets in 6}

East

1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 8 Chicago Bulls {Prediction: Cavaliers in 5}
2 Boston Celtics vs. 7 Detroit Pistons {Prediction: Celtics in 6}
3 Orlando Magic vs. 6 Miami Heat {Prediction: Magic sweep}
4 Atlanta Hawks vs. 5 Philadelphia 76ers {Prediction: Hawks in 5}

I'll talk about this a little more when its closing in on the playoffs and the seeds are certain.

Obama watches Wizards crush his hometown team

2009-02-28T15:26:00.003-07:00

The Wizards had 8 players score in double figures for the first time this season, with Antawn Jamison leading all of them with 27. He and Dominic McGuire also added 11 rebounds each. The other double figure scorers were Caron Butler 14, Mike James 14, Nick Young 12, Andray Blatche 12, Darius Songaila 12, and then JaVale McGee and McGuire each had 10.

The Bulls only had 3 guys in double figures, newly acquired John Salmons scored 25, and then Ben Gordon had 11 and Derrick Rose 10. Brad Miller, also acquired with Salmons from the Kings, had a stong game, posting 9 points and 11 rebounds.