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| Tweet Topic Started: Jul 1 2007, 10:08 AM (792 Views) | |
| Bada Bing | Jul 1 2007, 10:08 AM Post #1 |
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El Crack
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03 june 07 The NBA season has given us many stories this year. From arguments about which ball was better, leather or synthetic, to 60 foot buzzer beaters from Rasheed to a guy nicknamed Hibachi who seemed to make about 60 buzzer beaters, the NBA season seemed to have it all. The Dallas Mavericks tremendous regular season led by MVP Dirk Nowitzki and the squeaky voiced dynamo Avery Johnson saw them in the hunt for the magical 70 win plateau for a time. They were closely matched by the exciting run and gun Phoenix Suns that saw them move from one end of the court to the other before you could say the words Nash or Barbosa. The Lakers were not very good but had a succession of 50 point plus games that Kobe Bryant put forth. This eventually stopped as some of the other Lakers decided they might like to take a few shots too. Hey, at least Jack Nicholson was always there. What a cake they gave him too. Awesome. Over in the clearly weaker Eastern Conference, the struggles of the injury riddled defending champion Miami Heat, were countered by the consistent play of the Detroit Pistons, the Lebron James led Cleveland Cavaliers and the clutch play of Gilbert Arenas in Washington before he was ko’ed for the season. As the Playoffs rolled around, most observers felt Dallas and Phoenix were the strong contenders for the Championship, but no sooner had they started then the young, upstart Golden State Warriors had sent the Mavericks packing. It was a case of the apprentice being schooled by the master as former Mavs coach Don Nelson got one over Johnson, in a true Obi Wan versus Anakin battle, with Baron Davis playing the role of R2-D2. The Suns only lasted a further round, as the NBA rule makers prevented a potential game 7 classic versus the San Antonio Spurs, suspending Amare Stoudamire and Boris Diaw for daring to get out of their seats after their star man Steve Nash had been forearmed smashed by Big Elbow…sorry Game Bob Horry. The Spurs will go on and finish off the feisty Jazz I am sure. The Champion Heat were also bounced early as the young Chicago Bulls shockingly swept them. Britain’s own Luol Deng tore up the Heat destroying the likes of Shaq and Dwayne Wade. The Pistons meanwhile had bounced Orlando and went onto beat the Bulls despite a late fight back from the Chicago club. The Cavs had an easy route through beating the undermanned Wizards and the defensively challenged Nets. It seems as if Detroit will be in the Finals soon enough as Lebron realises he may need more help than a 7’4 centre called Zydrunas and a floppy haired forward called Anderson, to advance to the Finals. The Finals will be tight but I feel the Spurs will edge Detroit by let me see….4 game to 2. So that was the season that was. I would have loved the Suns to get to the Finals or even the Warriors but the slow down, half court plod of the above two will no doubt have the viewers turning off in their droves. Still it seems that on the horizon, there is some excitement in the form of supposedly one of the deepest drafts in NBA history. Having followed collegiate ball closely this season I would like to be the latest idiot to rub my crystal ball, to try and piece together the draft and say who goes where……So without further a do…… 1) Portland – Greg Oden, 7’0’’, Centre, Ohio State - A no brainer if ever there was one. As a freshman, Oden went to the Championship game but it was one year and he was done at Ohio State as many had thought. The Blazers had superb draft last year in getting rookie of the Year Brandon Roy and also LaMarcus Aldridge. Oden will join Aldridge in the paint as the Blazers jettison Zach Randolph via a trade. The future is bright for a franchise that bottomed out a few years ago and now has a young core that will have them back in the playoffs in 2 years. Oden is a dominating big man who is a great athlete, runs the floor, scores inside and changes games. He needs to work on his post game and his range but his improvements from high school to college means he should be an NBA All Star in less than 3 seasons. NBA Comparison – David Robinson 2) Seattle – Kevin Durant, 6’10’’, Small Forward, Texas The Sonics climb up the draft lottery too and get a player that is every bit as good as Oden in many ways. Athletic, quick and mobile, Durant can score going to the basket but has range too. Runs the court very well and is also so fluid. Scores many spectacular dunks and is very adept at scoring stick backs or opportunistic baskets in the paint. Offensively he is going to be a stud but does need to work on his defence that is the weakest part of his game. He also needs to add more strength, as he is very wiry. Rashard Lewis’s departure to free agency confirms this pick. NBA Comparison – Grant Hill 3) Atlanta – Brandan Wright, 6’10’’, Power Forward, North Carolina - The Hawks steadily improved last year despite playing in a market where few fans actually turn out to watch them. They have an All Star Joe Johnson and some nice young pieces. Another high pick will help especially as they felt they might have lost their draft pick this year to the Suns depending upon its position. Wright, like Durant, is a rangy do-it-all athlete who is very mobile. The Hawks could really do with a point guard but will probably wait until their eleventh pick as none stand out at this point as being worthy of a top 5 pick. Good hands and footwork will see him score a lot of points but he needs to bulk up and also may have to add range to his jump shot. NBA Comparison – Chris Bosh 4) Memphis – Al Horford, 6’9’’, Power Forward, Florida - The second Gator to be selected. Horford impressed in Florida’s back-to-back championship seasons as a solid, dependable inside player. The Grizzlies thought they would get Oden or Durant but will pick the best player available to make an impact and that is Horford. He is a good rebounder who is a decent athlete too. Very good defender but also can handle the ball well and is a surprisingly good passer. Does a lot of things well but will have to work on more moves when close to the basket. Either that or he must develop a more consistent outside shot. NBA Comparison – Antonio McDyess 5) Boston – Yi Jianlian, 6’11, Centre, China - Many mock drafts have Boston taking Mike Conley but Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge have said Rajon Rondo is their starter at point guard. The Celtics thought they were odds on to get one of the top two picks and one of the big prizes so they may just take a gamble at this point. Jianlian has been heavily scouted and will go high in this draft. He is more athletic and quicker than Yao Ming but is not a shot blocker nor intimidator like Ming. He is more of a finesse player who can handle the ball and score on the break. He also has nice range on his shot and loves the fadeaway. Needs to get much stronger and also rebound better for someone his size. Will take a few years to adapt to the NBA but could emerge in the same way Nowitzki did after an unspectacular start. NBA Comparison – Pau Gasol 6) Milwaukee – Corey Brewer, 6’9’’, Small Forward, Florida - The Bucks had a sub standard season this year and stuck in the powerful central division they need more pieces and more quality depth to even compete. Brewer would clearly help. They may consider Joakim Noah but feel he is a very similar player to Andrew Bogut and like Boston, they also may feel that none of the point guards are real stand outs. In Brewer they get an athlete, who can defend very well and score in transition. Sure his shot is inconsistent but they have some great shooters on the team already in the likes of Redd, Williams and Bell. Helps the Bucks to run more and also gives them a hard worker with length that will cause problems for opponents. NBA Comparison – Josh Howard 7) Minnesota – Julian Wright, 6’8’’, Small Forward, Kansas - Stuck in the middle of a keep Garnett or rebuild quandary, the Timberwolves have many questions to answer. They will likely start the season with KG but do not be surprised to see a Philly/Iverson situation midway through the season if things continue to go poorly in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves have holes all over their roster with only young guard Randy Foye as a legitimate building block. Wright is another solid athlete in a draft packed full of them. He can score going to the rim, has an awfully long wingspan and is a very underrated rebounder. He is an exceptional ball handler and passer and is very unselfish. He must work on his jump shot as at the moment he barely has a perimeter game and scores mostly inside or by using athleticism. NBA Comparison – Boris Diaw 8) Charlotte – Jeff Green, 6’8’’, Small Forward, Georgetown - Green is versatile performer who can pass the ball well, rebound and set others up. Has a good feel for the game and will be a solid NBA player for years to come. His outside shooting has improved and his play in the clutch cannot be questioned as he evidenced starring in upset victory over Duke and leading team to surprising final four appearance. Good in the paint at both ends of the court. NBA Comparison – Shane Battier 9) Chicago – Joakim Noah, 6’11’’, Power Forward, Florida - The Bulls need inside play and inside scoring. They may package this pick as part of a trade but if he is around, look for them to tab Noah. He does a lot of things well. He is athletic, very active and blocks shots. He also can pass the ball and has a really solid Basketball IQ. Neither a superb shooter nor does he have many go to moves inside but he does find ways to score and will certainly help a team. Be a valuable 6th man/energiser for many NBA teams - NBA Comparison – Anderson Varejao 10) Sacramento – Thaddeus Young, 6’8’’, Small Forward, Georgia Tech - Explosive athlete with real upside. Smooth player who can score from outside but equally comfortable creating off the dribble or going to the hoop. When he adds bulk will be tough to stop and be an even better defender. He is hard worker and will be an asset to teams who look to press defensively. NBA Comparison – Tayshaun Prince 11) Atlanta – Mike Conley, 6’0’’, Point Guard, Ohio State - Hawks have had to play Joe Johnson at point guard or have played Tyronn Lue. It is fair to say they lack a natural leader at this position. If the Celtics or Bucks do not take Conley they will grab him at 11. If he is gone they will take the next best point guard Acie Law. Conley had big game experience having been involved in the Ohio State run to the Championship game. He is very quick, a clever set up and guy and can run an offence. He is a good on the ball defender too. He needs to develop more of an outside shot and his jumper, as a whole does need work. NBA Comparison – Devin Harris / TJ Ford 12) Philadelphia – Al Thornton, 6’8’’, Power/Small Forward, Florida State - One of the most NBA ready players in terms of physique and durability. Thornton will be 24 when he starts the season. He is a strong player who is athletic and runs the floor well. He needs to work on his post game and also needs to show more refinement in his offence as he relies on physical talents for most of scores. Needs a more consistent jump shot but he does shoot free throws well. Would fit nicely next to Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert in the Sixers line-up. NBA Comparison – Al Harrington / Ruben Patterson 13) New Orleans – Spencer Hawes, 6’11’’, Centre, Washington - Hawes has been picked to go higher but feel in a draft full of high flyers and athletes, his effective, fundamental but non flashy play may see him drop. I think the Hornets may take him but may also trade him. He would provide nice insurance for West and Chandler as last years picks Simmons and Armstrong simply did not work out. He is a big man who can handle the ball and can shoot. He is also along with Noah, the best passing big man in the country. His lack of toughness and athletic ability means he may struggle at NBA level to be really effective. He needs to add strength and also become a better defender where even at the college level he has shown to be weak.NBA Comparison – Brad Miller / Chris Mihm 14) LA Clippers – Acie Law, 6’3’’, Point Guard, Texas A & M - The Clippers lost Shaun Livingston to a serious injury and it is doubtful if will ever get to the level they envisaged after two serious injuries. Sam Cassell is on his last legs and they need guard help. Law is a great competitor who likes the ball in his hands and can really score. Streaky shooter but can really score a lot of points in a hurry. Needs to attack rim more and also ensure he cuts down turnovers. NBA Comparison – Sam Cassell / Chauncey Billups 15) Detroit – Nick Young, 6’6’’, Shooting Guard, California - Good defender and can finish at the other end too. Will get better and better. 16) Washington – Javaris Crittendon, 6’5’’, Shooting Guard/Point Guard, Georgia Tech - Has all the tools but makes poor decisions. Very good ball handler and has size. 17) New Jersey – Josh McRoberts, 6’10’’, Power Forward, Duke - Smooth player who will have to get stronger to play in the NBA but makes good decisions. 18) Golden State - Rudy Fernandez, 6’6’’, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Spain - May stay in Spain but he will be an asset for someone down the line. Creative player with range who needs to get stronger physically. 19) LA Lakers - Marcus Williams, 6’7’’, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Arizona - Really good ball handler who has impressive wing span and can create match up problems. 20) Miami – Ante Tomic, 7’1’’, Centre, Croatia - Versatile big man who can play many different positions. Maybe a few years off yet. 21) Washington – Jason Smith, 7’0’’, Centre, Colorado - Really good shooter for a big guy and can step out to almost three point range. 22) Charlotte – Rodney Stuckey, 6’4’’, Shooting Guard, Eastern Washington - Good three point shooter who can pass and handle the ball. 23) New York – Daequan Cook, 6’4’’, Shooting Guard, Ohio State - Excellent mid range shooter who looks to score at every opportunity. 24) Phoenix – Marco Belinelli, 6’6’’, Shooting Guard, Italy - Long range bomber who has capabilities to attack basket too. 25) Utah – Derrick Byars, 6’7’’, Small Forward Vanderbilt - Great scorer and versatile defender too. 26) Houston – Tiago Splitter, 6’11’’, Power Forward, Brazil - Plying his trade in Spain for the top side Tau, Splitter is used to top level competition and is probably ready to try his luck stateside. 27) Detroit – Aaron Gray, 7’0’’, Centre, Pittsburgh - Gray has regressed last few years but has nice size and touch and you cannot teach size. 28) San Antonio - Marc Gasol, 7’0’’, Centre, Spain - Different player to his brother. More of a banger and physical defender. 29) Phoenix – Dominic McGuire, 6’8’’, Small Forward, Fresno State. - Versatile player who can do everything well. May go much higher depending on draft camps. 30) Phoenix – Aaron Afflalo, 6’5’’, Shooting Guard, UCLA - Mid range shooter who can also score from 3 point range. Solid passer and defender |
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| Bada Bing | Jul 12 2007, 07:14 AM Post #2 |
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El Crack
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01 july nba draft review A few weeks ago I posted my predictions on who would be taken, where and by which teams in the 2007 NBA Draft. Well a few days ago, the waiting was over as Madison Square Garden, New York, played host to a collection of nervy young men awaiting their fate on their future professional careers. The draft itself had a few surprises, with certain players going higher than many had thought and equally many seeing their stock and eventual pick position plummet. Whilst big names like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O’Neal remain in their current addresses for now, there were some trades with big names like Ray Allen, Zac Randolph, Steve Francis and Wally Szczerbiak all exchanging coastlines. I will quickly run down the first round with the respective merits of each team’s pick, how they may fit in and also whether this was ultimately the right move. I will then look at the main winners and losers on draft night, in terms of the teams that got better, stood still or even got worse. I got 23 out of the 29 picks taken in the first round from my mock attempt, of course not all of them in the right order or to the right teams but 5 of the other 6 went in the second round with one, Ante Tomic withdrawing from the draft. Pick by Pick Analysis – First round 1) Portland – Greg Oden, 7’0’’, Centre, Ohio State – An easy choice. Nobody thought they would take anyone else despite rumours about a so-so workout and them swaying towards Durant. Oden will join a team laden with talent, like Roy and Aldridge, but he will be the big star from day one. Do not be surprised if he is in the ‘main’ All Star game as early as his rookie season. Right up there with Lebron, Shaq, Iverson and Duncan, in terms of expectations in coming out of school. He will not disappoint. The future is bright in Oregon. 2) Seattle – Kevin Durant, 6’10’’, Small Forward, Texas - Another pick as predictable as the number one pick. Durant is right up there with the big ‘O’. He can do it all and has star in the making. The Sonics are clearly moving towards the future with the trade of Ray Allen and acquisition of Jeff Green. 3) Atlanta – Al Horford, 6’9’’, Power Forward, Florida – Hawks took the best player available rather than taking Conley, the best point guard available in a position they needed to fill. Horford will be a good player and contribute immediately. 4) Memphis – Mike Conley, 6’0’’, Point Guard, Ohio State – The Grizzlies recovered nicely from the disappointment of not nabbing the number one or even two pick although I would have taken Wright or Brewer before him. Conley will take over from Damon Stoudamire and be the point guard of the future for the Grizz. 5) Boston – Jeff Green, 6’8’’, Small Forward, Georgetown (Traded to Seattle) - Green was clearly selected by Seattle not Boston, as part of the trade that was announced after the draft. He will join Durant as part of the youth movement in the Northwest. Green perhaps went a little higher than envisaged and I felt any of the 4 picks beneath this would have been a better choice. He will be a nice player but not a star. 6) Milwaukee – Yi Jianlian, 6’11, Centre, China – Major surprise. Not in terms of how high he was selected but the team, considering his agent and entourage were lobbying for Boston, Chicago or Golden State. In fact anybody but Milwaukee. Be interesting to see if he is traded (Golden State strongly rumoured) or whether he is willing to come and play for the Bucks. Will not be a factor in the league for 2 or 3 years but can help a team off the bench 7) Minnesota – Corey Brewer, 6’9’’, Small Forward, Florida - A great pick by the Timberwolves who probably did not think he would drop this far. A great defender and athlete. Too bad with the imminent Kevin Garnett trade that he will play for a very poor ball club that will be in rebuilding mode for years to come. 8) Charlotte – Brandan Wright, 6’10’’, Power Forward, North Carolina (Traded to Golden State) – A real coup for the Bobcats and Michael Jordan. Wait….ugh….they traded him? Getting Wright was a steal at 9 but they then sent him to Golden State for Jason Richardson. An odd move as whilst Richardson can score, they have given up a player that I feel will eventually be a much better player who may make every team apart from Portland and Seattle regret not taking him. 9) Chicago – Joakim Noah, 6’11’’, Power Forward, Florida – A perfect pick for the Bulls who thought Noah would go as high as 5 and were delighted he fell this far. Granted the Bulls need offence and Noah lacks a decent jump shot but he will offer a real presence in the paint as a defender and energiser. Won the award for most notable suit/hairdo on draft night easily. A solid player who can be part of an 8 or 9 man rotation in the Windy City. 10) Sacramento – Spencer Hawes, 6’11’’, Centre, Washington – An odd pick. Hawes is years away from being a contributor and seems to in tbhe mould of Brad Miller, a player that they already have. 11) Atlanta – Acie Law, 6’3’’, Point Guard, Texas A & M – Hawks decided to take Horford not Conley and then take the next best point guard available in Law. He may get the chance to start straight away if Hawks cannot trade for an experienced veteran lead man. 12) Philadelphia – Thaddeus Young, 6’8’’, Small Forward, Georgia Tech –Risky pick in some ways for the Sixers who took potential in Young ahead of the more safe pick of Thornton. Young is only 19 and needs to bulk up but has the talent to help Philadephia down the line 13) New Orleans – Julian Wright, 6’8’’, Small Forward, Kansas – Wright dropped from a potential pick as early as 4 or 5 right down to 13 where the Hornets will be delighted. Wright is very raw but with the possible departure of Desmond Mason will still get minutes straight away. 14) LA Clippers – Al Thornton, 6’8’’, Power/Small Forward, Florida State – Clippers did not think he would fall down to here as he is one of the most ready players in the draft. Thornton will give big minutes to back up Elton Brand and also play some small forward. 15) Detroit – Rodney Stuckey, 6’4’’, Shooting Guard, Eastern Washington – With questions over the return of Chauncey Billups and also the impending retirement of Lindsey Hunter, Stuckey was taken as insurance policy. He is a decent combo guard but needs to play under more control and he went much higher than many thought. 16) Washington – Nick Young, 6’6’’, Shooting Guard, California – A good pick for the Wiz who can plug him in at shooting guard and also as backup for Caron Butler. 17) New Jersey – Sean Williams, 6’10’’, Power Forward, Boston College – Williams was booted off his team for various violations and has a chequered background. Nets needed frontcourt help and were ready to take the risk on a player who does have talent despite aforementioned problems. 18) Golden State - Marco Belinelli, 6’6’’, Shooting Guard, Italy – Belinelli has been en excellent player in Europe for years and can come in and help straight away. 19) LA Lakers - Javaris Crittendon, 6’5’’, Shooting Guard/Point Guard, Georgia Tech – A big point guard who will help the Lakers who are weak at this position. 20) Miami – Jason Smith, 7’0’’, Centre, Colorado (Traded to Philadelphia) – Sent to Philly for Cook on draft night. Smith has a nice touch around the hoop but will be a back up for much of his career. 21) Philadelphia – Daequan Cook, 6’4’’, Shooting Guard, Ohio State (Traded to Miami) – A scorer who will be able to give Dwayne Wade a rest but not play that much under Pat Riley who has never given rookies much burn. 22) Charlotte – Jared Dudley, 6’10’’, Power Forward, Boston College – Dudley went higher than many thought and Charlotte completed a poor draft. Dudley was a good player in college but his upside is limited. 23) New York – Wilson Chandler, 6’8’’, Small Forward, DePaul – Another odd pick from Isiah Thomas. Like Renaldo Balkman last year, Chandler was projected early to mid second round at best. At least the Randolph trade may have deflected attention away from this pick. 24) Phoenix – Rudy Fernandez, 6’6’’, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Spain (Traded to Portland) – Fernandez has been a star in Spain and is a great finisher but he will probably not join the logjam of talented youngsters being stockpiled in Portland for a few years yet, staying in Europe. 25) Utah – Morris Almond, 6’6’’, Shooting Guard, Rice – Utah needed a two guard and got a good shooter in Almond. A poor man’s Allen Houston, Almond needs to work hard on the defensive side of his game. 26) Houston – Aaron Brooks, 5’11’’, Pittsburgh – Confusing pick for Houston who had just acquired point guard, Mike James and needed frontcourt help after being abused by the Jazz in yet another first round defeat. Brooks will get tortured defensively. 27) Detroit – Aaron Afflalo, 6’5’’, Shooting Guard, UCLA – Further insurance in the Pistons backcourt but surely they would have been better taking a pure point guard as Hamilton is staying, Billups probably is not. 28) San Antonio – Tiago Splitter, 6’11’’, Power Forward, Brazil – Great pick for the champs. They do not need players immediately and can wait a year or two for Splitter and hope the contract situation is resolved. The Spurs add another great international talent who when he comes over will be better than 10-15 players above him. 29) Phoenix – Alando Tucker, 6’6’’, Shooting Guard, Wisconsin – A decent guard but a strange pick for Phoenix who had hoped to move up or to find a steal this late. 30) Philadelphia – Petteri Koponen, 6’3’’, Point Guard, Finland (Traded to Portland) - The Blazers add another young talent in getting a player whose stock kept rising on the eve of the draft after solid workouts. He will most likely stay in Europe next year. In the second round, there were a few players who may have thought they would hear their name in the 1st round and also some definite steals. The Spurs got a nice player in Marcus Williams, a small forward out of Arizona. Boston will be happy to acquire LSU big man Glen Davis, as part of the Ray Allen trade. Baby Shaq will help the Celts up front immediately. Josh McRoberts was another great move by the Blazers. Many had the Duke big man going in the first round. Derrick Byars from Vanderbilt was a good acquisition by the Sixers and Dominic McGuire could be a good player down the line for the Wizards. Pau’s brother, Marc Gasol, slipped right down to the lower end of the second round but will be a decent banger off the bench for the LA Lakers if he comes over to the NBA. Whilst the Bulls will be delighted to land Pittsburgh big man Aaron Gray so late in the draft when many had him going late first round to early second round. In a team bereft of big men he could crack the roster. Providence’s Herbert Hill could be a second round keeper for Philadelphia. Draft Night Winners and Losers So which teams hit gold, scored big and got much better? Which teams had fans throwing things at their TV’s on draft night? Which fans were left wondering whether their general manager had lost their mind? WINNERS Portland Trailblazers – Picked one of the best college players perhaps ever and a potential Hall of Famer. Also, got some other really talented players in Fernandez, Koponen, McRoberts and the point guard from the National Champs, Florida, Taurean Green. They got rid of trouble in trading Zac Randolph and added a nice young player in Channing Frye. The only problem is finding a place for everyone on the roster (currently 19 players on it) and the likelihood is that other than Oden, most of the rest may have to play overseas initially. The way they keep stockpiling young talent means that in 3 or 4 years time they will be a contender for the Western Conference. As good as Aldridge and Roy can become, the main reason for that is Oden. Atlanta Hawks – Got two players who can come in and help straight away. Horford and Law may both start and alongside Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, the Hawks will be far better team next year. Seattle Supersonics – In the short term they get worse losing their star Ray Allen but in Durant they have a star in the making. The only question is will it be enough to keep the team in grunge city or will they re-locate? International Basketball – The global game continues to grow. 13 ‘non-American’ players were taken out of the 60 picks in the whole of the draft, with 5 in the first round and one in the lottery. LOSERS Michael Jordan (and the Bobcats) – The best draft for years and a talent like Wright falls into his lap and MJ trades him?! Richardson can score but he does not have the talent and free reign he had in Golden State. Jordan may be the best player the game has ever seen but he is terrible in the front office (Kwame Brown, Adam Morrison come to mind). Milwaukee Bucks – Had the scope to get a legitimate player like Wright or Brewer but took a big gamble on a player who may not even come and play for them (Remember Steve Francis and Vancouver). Some fast-talking needed by GM Larry Harris and head coach Larry Krystkowiak. Florida Gators – Lost their starting 5 and their 6th man. Indeed the only player not drafted was Lee Humphrey, but expect him to land somewhere as an unrestricted free agent. They got Billy Donovan back but they are going to have to regroup now that the core of their team has been ripped apart. Still they won two national championships and having 5 players taken in the draft is a major achievement. Ohio State also lost 4 starters from their squad to the draft WAIT AND SEE…. Boston Celtics – Danny Ainge like Jordan has made some baffling moves. At first wanting to win immediately and then changing his mind and building around youth, then wanting to win immediately….you get the idea. Last year’s trade for Sebastian Telfair was a disaster and whilst Ray Allen is a proven player he does not have many miles left on the clock. If this goes wrong, Ainge and Doc Rivers are gone. New York Knicks - Isiah Thomas is lucky to still have a job after some baffling decisions both as a GM and as a coach. He decided to make another odd move in taking Wilson Chandler but landed an inside talent in Zac Randolph. At best the Knicks will have a talented and dominant frontcourt that can score a ton. At worst the Knicks will have a defensively challenged frontcourt who have the speed of a pair of tortoises and two players who basically do the same thing. Randolph and New York City’s nightlife may not be a good mix either considering his past misdemeanours. Kobe Bryant/Kevin Garnett – Both players have been discussed in trade rumours for the past two or three weeks. The likelihood is that Garnett will go. Boston may come back in with a new bid considering they could offer Jefferson and pieces but that will probably not be enough. Golden State and Phoenix appear the frontrunners. Both have pieces to make it happen. As for Bryant, LA will want a lot back and it figures the teams that have been mentioned, such as Chicago, do not want to give away half their team and their future. Expect him to stay and be joined by Jermaine O’Neal. Right, that’s me done. I will be back at you soon with more of an emphasis hopefully on British Basketball in this painfully long off-season |
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| Bada Bing | Sep 12 2007, 04:15 PM Post #3 |
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El Crack
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12 JULY A BRIT OF A CHANCE? In my last blog, I analysed the picks and outcomes immediately after the NBA draft and continued to look at things stateside. However, I did day that next time I would write about things closer to home and try to look at things related to British Basketball. After all Bada’s site is very much focused on British Basketball. Well I lied. Well not totally but I am going to continue my theme of looking at the NBA but with a British influence. After the draft, teams jockey for free agent signings, teams try to outbid each other for the free agents available and many trades are mooted (very few actually happen), but formany the focus is on the NBA Summer League. These Leagues from Las Vegas to Orlando to Utah is where players from all kind of backgrounds are trying to get one thing: A spot on an NBA roster. There are rookies right from pick number 1 to pick number 60, to last years first year players, to players who are coming back from injury, to players trying to regain form, to veterans and a whole host of International players. Most teams have sent a squad to one of the different leagues and some clubs have sent squads to a couple of the leagues. Whilst the actual results are mostly unimportant, the battle for burn, the battle for attention and the battle for a spot in the ‘L’ is heating up. A quick scan down the list of players involves sees a number of notable names. Aside from the obvious rookies, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, there are notable players from last year such as LeMarcus Aldridge, Tyrus Thomas and Adam Morrison. Also playing is the Cavaliers surprise packet Daniel Gibson and LA Clippers veteran Chris Kaman. Denver coach George Karl’s son, Coby Karl, is playing for the LA Lakers, Washington GM Ernie Grunfield’s son Dan, is lining up for the Pacers and Ron Artest’s brother Daniel, is lining up for the Kings. It is not a case of how good you are, but who you know in these cases perhaps. However, the point of most interest on these shores is the inclusion of a group of British Basketball players on some of the NBA summer league rosters. Namely, Joel Freeland, Kelenna Azubuike and Pops Mensah-Bonsu who are lining up for Portland, Golden State and Dallas respectively in various leagues this month. Whilst there were rumours of former Virginia Commonwealth star Nick George getting an invite onto the Utah roster he has not been confirmed as a participant as yet. George spent time on the Golden State summer league team last year but did not do enough to earn a pre season invite and subsequently joined Benetton Treviso on Italy. George struggle din Italy and was eventually loaned out by the Serie A club. Hopefully, George may get a look by the Jazz or another club but it seems more likely that George ‘s foreseeable future will be spent trying to solidify his reputation and enhance his game with a European club. As for the trio playing, due to the kind people at various internet outlets I have been fortunate enough to have seen a lot of Summer League play as I seek to watch anything basketball related that will help me overcome my off season blues. Whilst I have been chiefly watching my own NBA team, the Bulls, I have seen enough action to give an opinion on the merits and progress of the Brit trio and over the next few weeks I will try and keep you all updated. Thus far the reports have been on the whole good. Mensah Bonsu came up against the Chinese national team and top draft prospect Yi JianLian in an exhibition game and had an excellent game going for 24 points in a 105-100 win. The highlights of the game showed Mensah Bonsu getting a lot of points inside off second chance opportunities but he also seems to have developed more of a consistent jump shot. Mensah Bonsu did not play in the in the Mavericks Summer league opener against Seattle but appeared in their next game and put up 10 points and 13 boards against the Blazers in 24 minutes of action. The main time he was featured was when number pick Greg Oden flushed down a jam near the end and Mensah Bonsu rightly got right out of the way! In the second game Mensah Bonsu only put up 4 points on 2-11 shooting but once again had 13 rebounds in a victory over the Nuggets. Mensah Bonsu is currently leading the Las Vegas league in rebounds with two games to play. He has none his prospects of securing a roster spot with Dallas no harm at all and he does a lot of little things on the court, showing a great deal of energy at both ends. It seems set that Bonsu may be back with Dallas next year as the Mavs were very impressed with him in the time he spent with them last year between playing in the NBA Developmental league where he impressed earning All Star MVP honours. . Bonsu’s enthusiasm saw him flatten Avery Johnson’s son, Avery Jr, as he dived for a loose ball in the Denver game. Avery Jr was acting as a ball boy at the time! It is good to see Bonsu’s enthusiasm seemingly is still as high in terms of appearing for GB. He recently re-itterated that he will be part of Chris Finch’s programme this summer. Kelenna Azubuike is of course still waiting for his GB passport to come through and it will probably be too early for him to be involved in the National team this summer but the former Kentucky standout will still hopefully be a major part of our future. Allegedly coach Don Nelson was asked by Golden State GM Chris Mullin if he liked Sambuca. Nelson replied ‘Yeah’. Mullin promptly went out and signed Azubuike from the developmental league Fortunately for Nelson, Azubuike had an instant impact for the injury ravaged Warriors. Even when some of the main players returned Azubuike stuck around and was on the play off roster, even if his minutes were limited at this point. Azubuike, who Don Nelson said has "lottery talent" last season after the team first signed him, was expected to be a major player on the Summer League roster of the Warriors in a bid to regain a roster spot. In the opening game against New Orleans/Oklahoma Azubuike showed early why the Warriors believe he can be a rotation player for them. He asserted himself early in the game, scoring 12 points on 3-7 shooting, made all five of his free throws, and grabbed three boards. Azubuike's, like Mensah Bonsu, showed his penchant for hard work. In this game he routinely leapt and fought for rebounds throughout the game and kept the effort and energy high. An example was when he had an airball early, but kept after the play and made a layup after following his own shot. His shot Azubuike finished the game with 29 points on 10-20 shooting and 3-7 from beyond the arc, knocking down six of his seven free throws. He may have been overshadowed by Italian rookie Marco Bellinelli who had 37 points, but it was a very strong showing by Azubuike. In his second game he had 13 points and 6 rebounds in a victory against Philadelphia and he also looks to have an excellent shot at retaining his place in the NBA. Joel Freeland may not have yet played an NBA game like the others but he was thought of highly enough to be picked in the first round of the 2006 NBA draft by the Portland Trailblazers. Freeland remained with his club side Gran Canaria, where he was promoted to the senior team, but still did not obtain significant minutes as he was brought along very slowly. Freeland was brought over to play this summer in Las Vegas for the Blazers who have stockpiled with masses of young talent. Whilst Freeland will not make the Blazers roster next year, nor for a few years yet, it was prudent for them to take a look at their young British prospect and see how the big man has developed. Teaming with Aldridge, Oden and second round pick Josh McRoberts, Freeland has participated in two games thus far. Against the Celtics, Freeland got over 9 minutes of action but went 0-3 from the field in a disappointing output. Freeland bounced back a few days later against Mensah Bonsu’s Mavs, as he gained nearly 17 minutes of action, went 3-4 and scored 6 points, garnering 3 rebounds in a much better effort in limited playing time once again. I saw this game and Freeland came into the game towards the end of the first and scored two nice buckets cutting to the hoop to receive easy passes and convert. A short mid range jump shot featured in the second and a few nice defensive box outs were noticeable too. Freeland still seems incredibly raw and gets out muscled on both ends. He still needs to add muscle and upper body strength to be a factor at any kind of decent level of basketball. His actual touch on his jumper and his soft hands are real positives but he is definitely a working project. It is great that he has committed to GB for the future too but it may be too soon even for this summer for him to make the cut of the final squad. Hopefully, he will receive more playing time next year, whether it is in Canaria or elsewhere in Europe, and begin to polish off some of these rough edges as well as developing his physique. Check back later when I will report on the Brit’s progress further. |
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EuroLeague Women because women's basketball is the most important thing in life after family and good health! | |
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| Bada Bing | Oct 29 2007, 09:01 AM Post #4 |
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El Crack
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12 sep SWISS ROLL OVER Twelve months ago I was a spectator in a half full Ponds Forge as Britain narrowly lost to a less than impressive Belarus side. The evening lacked atmosphere, passion and excitement but Chris Finch stated that he was happy with the progress of the British programme and that we would see greater strides the following summer. Well, twelve months on and I was once again a spectator at Ponds Forge, but this time the stands were full and the feelings of positivity were clear to see and hear. This time the British team were victors, as they routed an over matched Switzerland team and to surely all but seal promotion and ultimately a place in Division A of the Fiba groupings. This time, GB had a star to ride upon and Luol Deng lived up to his billing showing a tremendous arsenal of offensive moves as he posted an incredible statline of 31 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. However, it was as a whole that the team all together looked more solid and more classy, whether it b e the imposing duo of Robert Archibald and Andrew Betts inside to the tenacious guards Richard Midgley and Nate Reinking to the classy Roger Huggins and Andrew Sullivan who did all the little things required. Switzerland offered token resistance with the ball hugging Thabo Sefolosha dominating their scoring (21 out of 41 points!) and offence. The rest of their team quite frankly stank. Britain should win the return leg easily and with it the tie. The next step is Division A and with it much tougher competition. GB won at a canter as the scoreline suggests. Indeed they could have won by more but for a few sloppy spells on offence. Defensively, they played very well and really restricted the Swiss. Deng played within the flow but as the game went on he began to dominate and just scored at will. He also made some clever passes. The rest of the GB team may not shared the offensive responsibility but they played well on the defence end. Midgely, Lenzly and Reinking really pressured the Swiss guards who took an age to set up the offence and also helped to pressure the entry passes from the guards. Sullivan and Deng had the tough task of chasing Sefolosha round and they took it in turns. He made a few awesome moves but also turned the ball over himself too much. Indeed, as regards to Switzerland they had only one real play. Get it to Sefolosha who dribbled and dribbled and then either drove to the hoop or pulled up for a J. That is no slight on him as the few times he did pass to his team- mates, they either missed or dropped simple passes. I felt sorry for him, as he could not do it all. A few of his drives and dunks, including two And 1's were phenomenal. This was the only real time the GB defence was broken down. They stayed with the system most of the night and as a result they really struggled to penetrate the defence of GB. They had no real big man of note with the guy Vogt seemingly more interested in swapping vests with Archibald and Betts than trying to establish post position. The Swiss, unlike many European teams also lacked a consistent outside shot. If they finished top of the group, then god help what the rest of that group were like. Still props to GB who did play some excellent defence, both in zone at times and man to man. They also employed a hugely successful trap for a 2-minute spell in the third that forced turnovers as they realised that if they forced the ball out of Sefolosha's hands they were error prone. Even when they pressured Sefol osha, they forced turnovers that led to easy scores going the other way. The one time anyone showed any passion was when Sainte Rose, the number 22, tried to pick a fight with a few GB players at the end of the game. As for the offensive end, GB were up and down. Deng was the one constant as he scored on dunks, alley oops, soaring drives, a three ball and a few impressive shots as he was fouled but still had the body control to convert. His first step was just too good as it saw him lose his defenders (often Sefolosha, his Bulls teammate) Archibald and Betts scored a few easy buckets overpowering opponents inside but they also tried to force things too much as they knew that physically noone on the Swiss team could stop them but as a result they picked up cheap fouls in their eagerness to score or grab boards. The outside shot was also inconsistent as only Reinking and Deng made any shots of any distance. Huggins scored a few nice easy hoops inside and Lenzly also had a nice finish to the end of the first. Starters Midgley - Defensively he did well as he chased around the guards, dove for loose balls and made lots of deflections. He made some good passes and generally took care of the ball. Only weakness was that but his shot was off badly tonight (had 3 air balls). 4 points + 3 rebs + 4 ass Sullivan - Did very little offensively but he was chasing Sefolosha round most of the night and stuck to his task. has had better game but did all the little things that was needed. 3 points Deng - Tremendous. Rushed a few early shots but he just get better and better. Made numerous great passes and then just started to take over, scoring some great baskets in every kind of way possible. His first step and soar to the hoop is something to behold. He made a couple of superb dunks, including one alley oop from Reinking. 31 points + 12 rebs + 4 ass Huggins - Class act still. He got into foul trouble towards the end but he made numerous clever rolls to the hoop for easy scores and got inside to steal quite a few offensive boards. 8 points + 6 rebs. Betts - Played very well at the start as he got an easy jam and then hit a baby hook. Quieter as the game went on but he did his job inside defensively and rebounded well. Also got a couple of nice blocks including one on Sefolosha. 7 points. --- Bench Archibald - Came off the bench but struggled to get into the flow tonight. Contributed well defensively but got into foul trouble and missed a few rushed shots. 2 pts + 5 rebs Reinking - Played very well. He missed a few shots but he made a couple of treys and more than that he played very good defence and made some superb passes. 13 pts Lenzley - Played well at the end of the first, especially on defence where he made a few nice steals, including one on Sefolosha where he picked his pocket and scored at the other end. 6 pts Sanders - DNP Haslam - DNP Britain will qualify but they must continue to get better. Hopefully, the likes of Azubuike and Bonsu may be on board soon and with young players like Freeland, Boateng and Clark to come, the future is bright. If Luol Deng could also persuade Ben Gordon then the GB team really would have something. The step up to the next level will be tough as there will be no Switzerland's or Holland's. All the teams at the next level can play and Britain will have to steadily improve. This summer has been a huge leap but there is still much work to be done. However, for now a big well done to Chris Finch and the boys. I enjoyed tonight. It was great seeing two Chicago Bulls (my NBA team) go at each other but more importantly it was great to see GB dominate a team in front of a near as damned packed venue. |
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EuroLeague Women because women's basketball is the most important thing in life after family and good health! | |
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| Bada Bing | Nov 10 2007, 07:15 AM Post #5 |
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El Crack
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29 oct eastern conference season preview It seems like only yesterday that Tim Duncan, Tony Parker et al were celebrating yet another championship and the arguments were beginning as to whether the San Antonio Spurs reign in achieving 4 championships in 9 seasons could be termed a dynasty. Yet, on the 30th October the Spurs will pick up their latest rings and begin the NBA season against the Portland Trailblazers. The forthcoming season once again has so many intriguing stories. Outside of the inevitable question on whether the Spurs can repeat there are many subplots. Can the Dallas Mavericks respond from their shocking 1st round playoff defeat? Can the Suns ever get past the Spurs? Is there a future for Kobe in LA? Was the Cavs season a flash in the pan and are they merely a one man team that has gone as far as they can go? Will the Celtics star studded trio carry them deep into the post season? Are the Pistons and Heat still elite teams? Can the Bulls be serious contenders? These and many more questions will be answered in my exciting, informative, totally brilliant guesswork that is : My NBA Season Preview! Lets start over in the East…… 1. Detroit Pistons Sure the Pistons may have lost Ben Wallace and now Chris Webber but people forget they have been year in, year out, the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference. Aside from a miraculous performance from King James in game 5 it would have been them not Cleveland competing for the Championship. They still have enough talent and experience to win a lot of ball games. Their defence is still the best in the East and they have added a couple of rookies that will give them a lift off the bench. Look for emerging Jason Maxiell to supersede McDyess as a starter by season end. I feel the Pistons will come out of the Eastern Conference. Additions : Jarvis Hayes (Washington), Rodney Stuckey (Draft) , Arron Afflalo (Draft) Departures : Chris Webber (Unattached), Carlos Delfino (Toronto) Probable starting 5 : G Chauney Billups, G Richard Hamilton, F Tayshaun Prince, F Rasheed Wallace, C Antonio McDyess, Key Bench players : F Jason Maxiell, C Nazr Mohammed, F/G Jarvis Hayes Prediction : NBA Finals. Alas a defeat at the final hurdle. 2. Cleveland Cavaliers The Cavs shocked the basketball world by stunning the Pistons and taking the Eastern Conference crown last season. The Spurs were far too strong for them in the finals but their elevation into the elite served as a notice for the rest of the league that Lebron is simply phenomenal and also that his supporting cast is probably not as bad as first feared. They need to ensure they finally re-sign ‘Andy’ Varejao and Sasha Pavlocic and their contract hold outs cannot have helped preparation. Look for Daniel ‘Booby’ Gibson to build on his playoff heroics by moving into the starting line up. The key for opponents is not necessarily stopping James but slowing down the others who can surprise you. The Cavs may struggle to repeat last season’s heroics and the King needs some help for them to become Champions. Additions : Hassan Adams (NJ Nets), Devin Brown (New Orleans), Cedric Simmons (New Orleans) Departures : Scott Pollard (Boston), David Wesley (New Orleans) Probable starting 5 : G Daniel Gibson, G Larry Hughes, F Lebron James, F Drew Gooden, C Zydrunas Ilgauskas Key Bench players : G/F Sasha Pavlovic, F Anderson Varejao, F Donyell Marshall Prediction : Eastern Conference Semi Finals but beaten by a deeper Bulls team. 3. Chicago Bulls The Bulls have slowly got better with their young promising players maturing into consistent performers. Luol Deng is expected to be an All Star this season and lead the Bulls in scoring, with Ben Gordon counted upon for his ability to hit clutch shots and Hinrich providing superb on the ball defence and heady play at the point. Questions remain up front where Big Ben Wallace provides defence and intangibles but the lack of post play and interior scoring still remains despite a couple of promising young players in Thomas and Noah. The Bulls have the deepest squad in the East with the aforementioned duo and a couple of steady guards in Duhon and Sefolosha. Not to mention Argentinian energiser bunny Andres Nocioni. The Bulls may get to the East finals but still may be a year off being a bona fide Championship contender. Additions : Joe Smith (Philadelphia) Joakim Noah, Aaron Gray, Jameson Curry (all Draft) Departures : Malik Allen (NJ Nets), Michael Sweetney, PJ Brown (Free Agency) Probable starting 5 : G Kirk Hinrich, G Ben Gordon, F Luol Deng, F Joe Smith, C Ben Wallace Key Bench players : F Andres Nocioni, F Tyrus Thomas, F/C Joakim Noah, G Chris Duhon, G Thabo Sefolosha Prediction : Eastern Conference final but defeat to the Pistons in 7 games. 4. Boston Celtics The Celtics went though a radical transformation this summer from a young team that seemed to be continually trying to rebuild to a team with three superstars who is now expected to compete for the Conference. GM Danny Ainge has thrown out his policy of trying to re-build and gradually get better in favour of a win now approach. Other than Al Jefferson and a relatively high draft pick, the Celtics lost very little. Now with Garnett and Allen joining Paul Pierce, they will win 50+ games easily. Whether they can go deep in the playoffs depends on what the rest of their wafer thin roster can do in supplanting the three stars. For the first time in years the Celts will be fun to watch. Additions : Ray Allen (Seattle), Kevin Garnett (Minnesota), James Posey (Miami), Scott Pollard (Cleveland), Eddie House (NJ Nets), Glen Davis (Draft), Gabe Pruitt (Draft) Departures : Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff (All Minnesota), Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West (both Seattle), Michael Olowokandi (Free Agency) Probable starting 5 : G Rajon Rondo, G Ray Allen, F Paul Pierce, F Kevin Garnett, C Kendrick Perkins Key Bench players : G/F James Posey, G Eddie House, F Brian Scalabrine, G/F Tony Allen Prediction : Eastern Conference Semi-Finals but beaten by the better defensive team, Detroit. 5. Washington Wizards The Wizards were genuine contenders in the East and then suddenly in the space of 5 days in early April they lost their two best players from last season, Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, to season ending injury. Without their two all stars they limped through the rest of the season before being swept in the 1st round by the Cleveland Cavaliers. With Arenas and Butler back the Wiz will hope to carry on their form for much of last season into the new campaign. They do have holes in the rest of the roster with a new blow being heart surgery for improved big man Etan Thomas that will sideline him much of the season. Look for Arenas to continue his high scoring performances and late game heroics that typified his play last season but Washington will struggle to go much very deep in the Playoffs due to soft inside game and weak bench. Additions : Nick Young (Draft), Dominic McGuire (Draft), Oleksiy Pecherov (Draft, ‘06) Departures : Michael Ruffin (Milwaukee), Jarvis Hayes (Detroit), Calvin Booth (Philadelphia) Probable starting 5 : G Gilbert Arenas, G Deshawn Stevenson, F Caron Butler, F Antawn Jamison, C Brendan Haywood Key Bench players : G Antonio Daniels, F Etan Thomas, G Nick Young, F Darius Songaila, C Andray Blatche Prediction : Defeat to Boston in 7 games in the 1st round. 6. Toronto Raptors Shocking everyone last year, the Raptors won 20 more games than the year before and won their first divisional title. They went out to the Nets in 6 games but the strides the franchise has made since new GM Jerry Colangelo moved from Phoenix has been remarkable. They have a number of international players and have an increased depth this year. Chris Bosh is the star but players like Parker, Garbajosa, Calderon were superstars in Europe long before they came to the States. The one worry is that they will not be a surprise factor this season and must ensure they can adapt when teams double down on Bosh in the low post. The key will be their outside shooting and that explains the signings of Kapono and Delfino. Additions : Jason Kapono (Miami), Carlos Delfino (Detroit), Maceo Baston (Indiana) Departures : Morris Peterson (New Orleans) Probable starting 5 : G TJ Ford, G Anthony Parker, F Jason Kapono, F Chris Bosh, C Andrea Bargnani Key Bench players : G Jose Calderon, F/G Jorge Garbajosa, G/F Carlos Delfino, F joey Graham, C Rasho Nesterovic Prediction : Defeat in 6 games to the Bulls. 7. New Jersey Nets The Nets have a comparable trio to the Celtics with Carter, Kidd and Jefferson filling the lanes and all capable finishers from inside and outside. They have Serbian forward Nenad Krsric back from injury and Magloire could be a nice underrated pickup. Losing Mikki Moore to free agency was a blow as he was really starting to blossom and the Nets are still defensively challenged in the paint. The Nets have debated shaking up their core but they continue to try and win with the aforementioned trio. Whether their modified supporting cast can help them get any deeper in the playoffs is doubtful. This Nets team is still too soft despite some great talent. Prediction : First round defeat in 6 games to Cleveland. Additions : Darrell Armstrong (Indiana), Malik Allen (Chicago), Robert Hite (Miami), Jamaal Magloire (Portland) Departures : Eddie House (Boston), Mikki Moore (Sacramento), Marc Jackson (Europe – Olympiacos), Hassan Adams (Cleveland), Cliff Robinson (Free Agency) Probable starting 5 : G Jason Kidd, G Vince Carter, F Richard Jefferson, F Nenad Krstic, C Jason Collins Key Bench players : C Jamaal Magloire, F Bostan Nachbar, G Marcus Williams, F Josh Boone. Prediction : First round defeat in 6 games to Cleveland. 8. Miami Heat The injury riddled Heat never really gave themselves a shot at defending their title last year and only a late spurt saw them actually get into the playoffs. Once there, a young energetic and deep (everything the Heat aren’t) Bulls team just dismantled them. In Wade they have a genuine superstar but Shaq, whilst still dominant at times, is ageing and they have very little depth outside these two players with Eddie Jones and Gary Payton seemingly headed for retirement, defensive enforcer James Posey now up in Boston and Jason Kapono in Toronto. Incoming Ricky Davis may help (recently acquired in a trade for Antoine Walker) as he can really score and will be glad to get out of Minnesota. Additions : Alexander Johnson (Memphis), Penny Hardaway (Free Agent), Smush Parker (LA Lakers), Daequan Cook (Draft), Ricky Davis (Minnesota), Mark Blount (Minnesota) Departures : James Posey (Boston), Robert Hite (NJ Nets), Eddie Jones (Free Agency), Gary Payton (Free Agency), Jason Kapono (Toronto), Antoine Walker (Minnesota), Michael Doleac (Minnesota), Wayne Simien (Minnesota) Probable starting 5 : G Jason Williams, G Dwayne Wade, F Ricky Davis, F Udonis Haslam, C Shaquille O’ Neal. Key Bench players : C Alonzo Mourning, G Penny Hardaway, G Smush Parker, C Mark Blount Prediction : Lose in 6 games to Detroit. 9. Orlando Magic The Magic may have had a disastrous summer in the coaching stakes when they hired and then lost Florida Gators head coach Billy Donovan in less than a week but Stan Van Gundy will have a point to prove after being nudged out at Miami. He has lost veteran Grant Hill over the summer but the Magic made a big splash in the free agent market signing Rashard Lewis. Whether he is worth the whopping $100+ million contract is debatable and if he does not deliver from the beginning, the critics will be sharpening their pencils. Dwight Howard has improved year in, year out and should be an All Star this year. The Magic’s roster is awfully thin outside of these two and point guard combo Jameer Nelson and Carlos Arroyo. Additions : Rashard Lewis (Seattle), Adonal Foyle (Golden State) Departures : Grant Hill (Orlando), Bo Outlaw, Darko Milicic (Memphis) Probable starting 5 : G Jameer Nelson, G Kenyon Dooling, F Hedo Turkoglu, F Rashard Lewis, C Dwight Howard Key Bench Players : G Carlos Arroyo, G JJ Reddick, G/F Trevor Ariza, G Keith Bogans Prediction : Just not enough depth or talent to supplant Howard and Lewis and a narrow playoff elimination at the end of the season. 10. New York Knicks The soap opera at Madison Square Garden continues with further controversy over the future of head coach Isiah Thomas after a much publicised sexual harassment court case over the summer. The Knicks got another talented big man to add to Eddy Curry, in Zach Randolph who can score and cause double teams. Guess what though? He will not pass the ball and also plays non-existent defence. The Knicks most valuable player may be hard working David Lee who needs to be given more court time. Stephon Marbury will continue to sell cheap sneakers, which is admirable but will continue to show why he has not lived up to expectations on the court and continue to say stupid things off it. Additions : Zach Randolph (Portland), Fred Jones (Portland), Wilson Chandler, Demetris Nichols, Jared Jordan (all draft) Departures : Channing Frye (Portland), Steve Francis (Portland-now Houston), Probable starting 5 : G Stephon Marbury, G Jamal Crawford, F Quentin Richardson, F Zach Randolph, C Eddy Curry Key Bench Players : F David Lee, G Nate Robinson, F Jared Jeffries, F Renoldo Balkman Prediction – No chance of the playoffs regardless of Randloph as this team is terrible defensively. 11. Milwaukee Bucks The Bucks will continue to ride the talents of Michael Redd but this is a team that always seems to be on the verge of playoff contention but never quite wins enough close games. Milwaukee managed to keep hold of Charlie Bell and Maurice Williams despite strong pitches and an offers from Miami. Bell does not appear too pleased that the Bucks matched Miami’s offer sheet to keep the former ACB guard around. Andrew Bogut needs to be more consistent or new big man Yi JianLian, who the Bucks finally talked into coming aboard after selecting him in the draft, may eat into the Australian’s minutes. Additions : Yi JianLian (Draft), Desmond Mason (New Orleans), Jake Voshkul (Charlotte), Michael Ruffin (Washington) Departures : Ruben Patterson (LA Clippers), Earl Boykins (Free Agency) Probable starting 5 : G Maurice Williams, G Michael Redd, F Desmond Mason, F Charlie Villenuva, C Andrew Bogut Key Bench Players : F Bobby Simmons, G Charlie Bell, C Yi JianLian, C Dan Gadzuric Prediction : Redd is a genuine star but too many other talented players will continue to falter to deceive and defensive weaknesses mean they will miss the playoffs. 12. Charlotte Bobcats Michael Jordan continues to tinker with the Bobcats brining in old friend Rod Higgins to coach the team. He also made a major draft day trade acquiring high scoring MJ wannabe Jason Richardson from the Warriors in exchange for draft pick Brandan Wright. The Bobcats continue to see young players like Okafor and Felton develop and have seen improvements last season from the likes of Matt Carroll, Ryan Hollins and Walter Herrmann. Re-signing Gerald Wallace was a big move for the franchise who have two seriously athletic wings in him and Richardson that could cause problems for opponents. A major blow is that promising young players Sean May and Adam Morrison will be sidelined for most of the season with serious knee injuries. Additions : Jason Richardson (Golden State), Jared Dudley (Draft) Departures : Brevin Knight (LA Clippers), Alan Anderson (Free Agency), Jake Voshkuhl (Milwaukee) Probable starting 5 : G Raymond Felton, G Jason Richardson, F Gerald Wallace, F Emeka Okafor, C Primoz Brezec Key Bench Players : F Ryan Morrison, F Matt Carroll, G Derek Anderson, F Walter Herrmann, G Ryan Hollins Prediction : Improving but injuries to key players may mean they will just fall short. 13. Atlanta Hawks The Hawks have improved but so have most of the Eastern Conference. They will look to Acie Law to solve their perennial point guard problem and Al Horford will give them depth up front. The Hawks will look to utilise speedsters like Law, Smith and Claxton and will try and run, using a more open court type of offence. They do need one of the Williams’ to step up and improve and consistent night in, night out efforts from the exciting but unpredictable Josh Smith. Joe Johnson will lead them to victories against better teams but they will not be able to put any consistency together yet. Additions : Al Horford, Acie Law (both draft) Departures : Royal Ivey, Slava Medvedenko (Free Agency) Probable starting 5 : G Acie Law, G Joe Johnson F Josh Smith F Marvin Williams, C Zach Pachulia Key Bench Players : G Josh Childress, G Speedy Claxton, G Tyronne Lue, F Al Horford, F Shelden Williams Prediction : Will improve from last year and slowly but surely the Hawks keep adding pieces but lack veteran leadership. 14. Philadelphia 76’ers When the Sixers traded away franchise player Allen Iverson they changed the face and future of the franchise. The team tried gamely to compete but ultimately were short of talent and scoring. The Sixers rely on young players like Andre Iguodala and Kyle Korver for points and whilst they have a more unselfish point guard in Andre Miller, this does not necessarily translate into wins. Samuel Dalembert can block shots but will not give any opposition centres nightmares at the other end. Additions : Reggie Evans (Denver), Thaddeus Young (draft), Calvin Booth (Washington), Ricky Sanchez (draft) Departures : Alan Henderson, Stephen Hunter (Denver), Bobby Jones (Denver) Probable starting 5 :G Andre Miller, G Kyle Korver F Andre Iguodala, F Reggie Evans, C Samuel Dalembert Key Bench Players : G Willie Green, F Rodney Carney, G Kevin Ollie, Prediction : Igoudala and Miller will do their best to lead the Sixers but life is no fun in Philly without Iverson and they may be out in the cold for a few years. 15. Indiana Pacers Indiana has deteriorated its talent levels and its performances over the last few years and this trend continued last season. The disastrous trade that sent troubled but talented Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson to Golden State simply did not work. Add in the on off saga over whether Jermaine O’Neal will be traded and the Pacers future does not look bright. They axed Rick Carlisle and brought in much travelled Jim O’Brien to lead the squad. The Pacers have so many holes and outside of O’Neal very little talent. Additions : Kareem Rush, Stephen Graham (Portland) Departures : Maceo Baston (Toronto), Darrell Armstrong (NJ Nets) Probable starting 5 : G Jamaal Tinsley, G Danny Granger, F Mike Dunleavy, F Jermaine O’ Neal, C Jeff Foster Key Bench Players : F/C Troy Murphy, G Marquis Daniels, F Ike Diogu Prediction : The Pacers will hope to bottom out and then improve via the draft and free agency. |
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8:51 AM Jul 11